


Heechul's Zoo

by SparklingMasterpiece



Series: Heechul's Zoo [1]
Category: BTOB, EXO (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band), Super Junior
Genre: Collars, Everyone cries all the time, Everyone’s backstory is tragic, Fluff and Angst, Hybrids, Lots of cuddling :3, M/M, Majorly hurt/comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, There’s a surprising amount of Jihoon side-story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-02-24 12:06:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 87,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13213416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparklingMasterpiece/pseuds/SparklingMasterpiece
Summary: Heechul has a soft spot for hybrids. Especially adorable bunnies with big eyes, like Minseok. He does his best to look after his other bunny, hamsters and cat hybrid, but there's no doubt that Minseok is his favourite. And for Minhyuk that's a tough truth to face.





	1. Good Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: If you're here just for Mingyu he doesn't show up until the end of Chapter 7. Also, Leeteuk and Baekhyun are not main characters and are only in a couple of chapters. 
> 
> Anyway I've liked hybrid stories ever since I stumbled upon a cute Ereri story I can no longer find on here. But the inspiration for Xiumin being a shy little lop bunny came from zhyixingie's "Everybody's Gonna Love You" series. Thank you for being the catalyst to me rejoining fic writing. :)

“Heenim? Heenim…”

Heechul stirred slightly at the sound of his name. As realization dawned on him, he groaned inwardly at the sudden interruption of his sleep and pressed his face against his pillow, trying hard to pretend he wasn’t awake. But the voice was insistent.

“Heenim, wake up,” it said, “We’re hungry…”

And now it wasn’t just a voice. It was hands, gently prodding him, and now rubbing his shoulders in a not entirely unpleasant way. Oh, but Heechul had just wanted to sleep. Just once he wanted to lie in his bed, comfy and warm, without someone whining to be fed. He didn’t know why they wanted the meals he made so badly anyway, he was a terrible cook.

No, he sighed to himself, he knew why. Because they would literally starve without him. That was the problem with owning hybrids. Sometimes they were much more animal than human. And none of Heechul’s fuzzy housemates could cook or even prepare food without making a huge mess or worse, injuring themselves, leaving him to be the sole provider of nourishment. 

Heechul groaned, out loud this time, and rolled over onto his back. He kept his eyes closed, just wanting a few more seconds of peace before the inevitable noisy morning began. The insistent hands were on his chest now, half massaging, half shaking him. Then a face, burying itself against his chest as the owner draped himself over Heechul’s body.

“Heenim, please get up. I know you’re awake,” Minhyuk, one of Heechul’s bunny hybrids whined, his voice muffled by Heechul’s pajama top.

Minhyuk rubbed his face against Heechul’s stomach, pushing at him in a way that was more like a cat than a bunny, and Heechul squirmed at the ticklish feeling. Without opening his eyes he reached down to ruffle Minhyuk’s hair, petting the bunny’s soft ears lazily.

“Okay, okay,” Heechul sighed, “Go downstairs. I’ll be in the kitchen in a minute.”

“Good! I’m starving!”

Minhyuk sighed in exasperation at all this delay as he got up off of Heechul and bounded down the stairs. Heechul didn’t move from his position on his back, hoping to get just an extra minute in his bed before Minhyuk got too impatient waiting for him. But he should have known better. Not five seconds later he felt someone climbing on top of him, straddling his body with their slight weight. 

And then there was a little kiss on his nose.

Heechul finally opened his eyes to see two big adorable brown eyes staring back at him. It was Minseok, his other bunny hybrid.

“Heechul appa, I’m hungry,” Minseok said, quietly, “Please make us breakfast. Please?”

The bunny rubbed his nose against Heechul’s cheek and Heechul chuckled. His struggle for more sleep had been defeated in a matter of seconds. Minseok was just so sweet, how could he possibly say no to him. 

“Okay, I’m getting up now,” Heechul said, “But only because you’re so cute.” 

He gave the bunny a little kiss back before sitting up. Minseok leaned back as Heechul rose, but didn’t get off his owner’s lap. 

“Minkki, I can’t make you breakfast if you don’t get off me,” Heechul pointed out.

“I know,” Minseok replied, “I just like this time of day, when Heechul appa’s all sleepy…”

Minseok wrapped his arms around Heechul’s neck, pressing himself against his owner, and Heechul smiled. He reached one arm around the small hybrid to pet the bunny’s back, the other one reaching up to stroke his adorable little lop ears. Minseok buried his face into Heechul’s collar bone, nuzzling against him, and Heechul was half tempted to lie back down again. If Minseok had wanted him to get up then this was having the exact opposite effect. He would have happily cuddled in bed with Minseok all morning…if he didn’t have four other hybrids to attend to. 

“I like it too,” Heechul said, “But I don’t want Minhyuk to destroy the kitchen.” Minseok made a pouty noise that made Heechul’s heart flutter. He couldn’t stand it, this particular bunny was just too cute. “Weren’t you hungry anyway?”

“Mm,” was all Minseok replied, his face still pressesd against Heechul’s shoulder.

Heechul could feel the little rabbit’s heart beating against him as they sat cuddled together, chest to chest. It was slow and steady, almost reassuring. He remembered how frightened Minseok had been when he’d first gotten him. His heart sounding like a jackhammer ready to burst from his chest every time Heechul held him. 

“Well of course he would have been,” Heechul thought to himself, “After what happened. What that sick freak…No don’t think about it. Not now.”

“There’s strawberries,” Heechul tempted Minseok, stroking the bunny’s ears gently, “And those waffles you like…”

With perfect timing Minseok’s stomach growled and Heechul laughed. Minseok lifted his head up and his pout turned to a grin as he saw Heechul’s smiling face.

“Heechul appa’s so pretty when he laughs,” Minseok said, his eyes shining with such adoration it made Heechul’s heart hurt.

These were the times he was reminded of where his hybrids had come from. The frightened, uneasy, (and sometimes horrifying) lives they had led before he had rescued them. They looked at him now sometimes like he was their saviour. And he supposed in a way he really was. Especially in Minseok’s case… He didn’t really like to think about it, to consider the alternative if he hadn’t come along, but sometimes it just popped up. Like now. 

Heechul kissed Minseok softly on the lips, still smiling, trying not to let the sudden pang of sadness he felt creep over his face. 

“Come on, let’s go have breakfast before Minhyuk tears apart the house,” Heechul said.

Minseok nodded, still grinning happily, and all but bounced down the stairs, Heechul trailing sleepily after him. Heechul noticed the other bedroom doors were still closed, meaning the hamsters and the cat were still sleeping. The hamsters would be up soon enough he figured, but his cat hybrid was a different story. 

Minhyuk was waiting for them in the kitchen, sitting at the table, his feet tapping impatiently on the floor. Minseok slipped into the seat beside him, still looking at Heechul like he was the greatest person in the world. All because Heechul would slice strawberries for him. Heechul busied himself getting things out of the cupboards, trying not to think back to that time, trying not to think about what they did to the poor little hybrid.

“Don’t worry about that,” Heechul told himself, “Things are good now. That’s all that matters. Don’t think about what others have done. Just be the best owner you can be.”

He began slicing fruits and vegetables, including the favourite strawberries. Bunny hybrids were true to the animal they took after, being vegetarians, and mostly preferring fresh greens. It was one of the reasons they weren’t as popular as cat or dog hybrids. Many people just found it too expensive or inconvenient to feed them what they wanted, leading to unhappy hybrids and frustrated owners.

It was no problem for Heechul though. Even if he hadn’t had the back garden he could easily afford to keep Minseok and Minhyuk well fed. And the others too. It made him angry to think of the other owners who hadn’t properly researched their hybrid before adopting one and who would find such a small part of the care to be too much of a “burden”. 

He looked back at the bunnies. Minhyuk was softly petting Minseok’s droopy ears, content now that he knew food was on its way. Minseok twitched slightly at the other hybrid’s touch, scrunching up his shoulders and squirming away. Heechul knew why. The little bunny could be somewhat ticklish if you touched a certain spot on his ears. And Minhyuk had no problem teasing his “little brother”.

“Stop it,” Minseok whined, but he was smiling.

He leaned over and kissed Minhyuk’s cheek, making the other hybrid giggle. Heechul had to stop and watch them for a moment. Minhyuk’s smiling face was just too adorable to miss, especially when it was being kissed by Minseok. Minseok reached up and began playing with Minhyuk’s shorter ears, but Minhyuk didn’t flinch.

“It doesn’t tickle me,” Minhyuk said defiantly, “It just feels nice.”

“That’s no fair,” Minseok pouted, still rubbing the other’s ears, trying different spots as he tried to get some kind of response out of him. 

How could people not love bunny hybrids, Heechul wondered. They were just as affectionate with each other as they were with their owners, making them more suited as “pets” than cat or dog or other rodent hybrids. Maybe that was it. Maybe it was the fact that they were so damn cute and so incredibly innocent, that turned people off from them. He knew full well of the darker side of owning hybrids. That some people saw them as just slaves, sub-humans with no rights of their own, only bred to please their owner. In whatever way the owner wanted. Maybe that was why more people wanted the other, more mature hybrids. 

Heechul banished the thought from his head. He didn’t see his hybrids like that and he didn’t need to think about the sickos who did. They weren’t his slaves, they didn’t have to do anything for him they didn’t want to. Well except clean up the messes they inevitably made and never ever try to make anything in the kitchen again. Not after the hamsters nearly burned the place down.

As if on cue Heechul heard a thud from upstairs, followed by a groan. There were a few more thuds and then the sound of two people rolling around on the floor. Heechul quickly served the bunnies their breakfast and began preparing for the other two hybrids that would soon be coming downstairs.

Those hamsters were definitely a handful. Now Heechul could see why they were such a rare hybrid. They seemed to be in between puppies and bunnies in terms of temperament. They had all the energy and cheerfulness of puppies while still retaining the sweetness of a bunny. It may have seemed like a good combination on paper, but it made for a very rambunctious, energetic but also sometimes clingy and needy hybrid. Heechul hadn’t planned on getting two of them, but to leave the other one there, after seeing that place…and what they did…

Once again he pushed a painful memory away. He was just putting out two bowls of granola and yogurt onto the table as one little ball of sunshine came down the stairs.

“Good morning!” Soonyoung said cheerily. 

His black hair was sticking up at odd angles and his pajama top was buttoned up wrong. No doubt his morning had started with wrestling with his “brother”, Ilhoon. That being the sound that Heechul and the others had heard earlier. The hamsters weren’t as gentle as the bunnies in their affection, preferring to play with each other rather noisily and sometimes roughly, rather than cuddle. 

“Morning,” Minhyuk mumbled, his mouth full as he munched on a piece of strawberry.

“Mmpff,” came Minseok’s reply, a piece of celery dangling from his mouth.

“Did you make us breakfast?” Soonyoung asked Heechul, his face lighting up in that adorable little hamster smile that Heechul couldn’t resist, “Thank you Heenim!”

The hybrid wrapped his arms around Heechul’s waist, snuggling in to him, and Heechul smoothed down his messy hair, giving an extra little scratch behind the younger’s soft black ears. Heechul wasn’t sure if that was something real hamsters enjoyed very much, but Soonyoung seemed to like it.

Ilhoon appeared moments later, blinking blearily at the bright kitchen. He flopped down into a chair next to Minseok, rubbing at his face.

“Soonyoung woke me up…” he grumbled.

“Is that why you two were fighting?” Heechul asked.

“It wasn’t fighting,” Soonyoung said quickly, “Just wrestling. It was fun.”

“It was fun even though you lost?” Ilhoon asked and Soonyoung grinned sheepishly.

Ilhoon ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up as Soonyoung’s had as he stared out at nothing. He still seemed to be half-asleep despite winning his wrestling match. Minseok wordlessly passed him a strawberry and he took it, munching slowly. Soonyoung quickly took a seat across from him and began stuffing his face earnestly. Apparently he was quite hungry after the morning rumble upstairs.

Heechul watched over them fondly. He hadn’t even bothered to make himself breakfast yet, but it didn’t matter. He was just happy that they were happy. He felt a bit like a proud parent at that moment, gazing at his little “family”.

“Heenim” Minhyuk piped up, “Is today the day that Leeteuk samchon is visiting?”

Heechul’s stomach dropped. He had been hoping they could at least get through breakfast without him having to announce it to the others, but apparently Minhyuk just couldn’t keep quiet. Soonyoung and Ilhoon didn’t seem too interested in the news, but Minseok looked up at him right away. This was the first time he was hearing about it. That was because Heechul hadn’t been sure how the little bunny would take the news. He had been waiting for the right moment, but it had never seemed to come, and now here they were. Leeteuk had come to stay with them a few times before when Heechul had some particularly long TV shoots, that part wasn’t new. But this was the first time Heechul would be gone overnight.

“Yes, Leeteuk hyung is coming over tonight,” Heechul said, trying to sound as nonchalant about it as possible so as to not worry Minseok, “I have to work late.”

It didn’t seem to work though as Minseok’s lip was already trembling.

“How late?” the hybrid asked quietly. 

Heechul couldn’t stand to look at him, he couldn’t face those big sad eyes and pouty lower lip. He knew he should have said something sooner.

“You’ll be asleep when I come home,” Heechul lied, “So please just go to bed when Leeteuk hyung tells you to.”

“I heard you saying on the phone you wouldn’t be back until the next afternoon,” Soonyoung piped up. 

Minseok let out a little whimper and sullenly put his half-eaten strawberry back on the plate. Ilhoon smacked Soonyoung on the arm before turning to the sad little bunny and patting him on the head affectionately.

“It’s okay Minkki,” Ilhoon said, “You have us. And Leeteuk samchon will probably bring his puppy over. You like Baekhyun, don’t you?”

Minseok nodded as a tiny squeak escaped him. He was trying not to cry and Heechul found it both incredibly adorable and heart-breaking at the same time. He knew why Minseok was so upset. Why the hybrid was still so shy and skittish, why he was afraid of the dark, and why he was distrusting of other humans, even someone as nice as Leeteuk. His entrance into Heechul’s life had been the most harrowing one out of all of them. The other hybrids had survived harsh conditions, true, but it was on the day he found Minseok that Heechul had fully realized just how cruel and twisted people could actually be.

Heechul left the things had been preparing for his cat hybrid’s breakfast on the counter and went over to Minseok. He hugged the little bunny to him, holding him close. It was almost as if he was trying to comfort himself just as much as Minseok.

“I’m sorry,” Heechul whispered, “I’m a terrible owner…”

Minseok looked up suddenly. “No! Don’t say that!” He began to cry now, tears steadily falling from his big brown eyes, but his face was more serious than sad. “You’re the best owner ever!”

Then he buried his face into Heechul’s chest, crying hard. If Heechul had meant to be comforting he had definitely screwed that up. 

“Yeah, Heenim’s the best,” Soonyoung agreed.

“The best,” Ilhoon said quietly.

Heechul suddenly felt someone hug him from behind and knew it was Minhyuk. He was now being sandwiched by two clingy bunnies, but at least only one of them was sobbing. Hopefully.

“I’ll be good,” Minseok was saying, his voice muffled by Heechul’s pajamas, “I’ll be a good bunny, Heechul appa. Don’t worry.”

Heechul heard a sniffle and looked over to see Soonyoung now wiping away a tear. Oh great, soon everyone was going to be bawling. This was not the happy morning breakfast he had envisioned. But Heechul didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to say to make Minseok stop crying now. 

Lucky for him, a sleepy cat hybrid had just entered the kitchen.

“What’s…happening…” Jihoon asked, his tail swishing in the air behind him.

Heechul just stared at him helplessly, not sure what was the best way to explain the current situation. 

“Good morning Jihoonie!” Soonyoung said, the tears gone from his eyes as he greeted his best kitty friend with a smile. (Best friend according to him, not to Jihoon)

Jihoon’s ears twitched as he stared at them for a few silent moments.

“I’m going back to bed,” he said and then he disappeared back upstairs.

Heechul rubbed at his forehead. He had been trying so hard to integrate Jihoon, his newest hybrid, into their little family and now this kitchen sobfest had probably set them back. Jihoon was not as cheerful or open with his affection as the rodents were and slowly, Heechul had been getting him to come out of his shell. But big displays of emotion like this just made the cat hybrid uncomfortable. He would have fit right in with Junhyung, Heechul mused. Speaking of, he wondered how his introverted friend was doing with his giant excitable puppy hybrid anyway.

Minseok had stopped crying, instead making little snuffling noises against Heechul’s chest. Now that Jihoon’s interruption had diffused the situation, Heechul seized the opportunity. He took the bunny’s face in his hands and looked into his eyes. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner Minkki,” Heechul said, “But I know that you’re so strong and you can get through tonight. And then, I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.”

He kissed Minseok’s forehead and the rabbit suddenly blushed. Heechul seemed to have that effect on people. He could be so funny and carefree one moment and then a complete heart-throb the next. Minseok looked away as he absently played with one of his ears, his tear-stained cheeks now flushed. 

Heechul would be lying if he said he didn’t find the hybrid’s reaction somewhat satisfying. Not that he thought of Minseok “that” way. And he would never think of doing anything with him, of course…

Heechul quickly disentangled himself from Minhyuk’s embrace, feeling slightly flustered. That was the problem with hybrids. Sometimes they were more human than animal. And looking into Minseok’s pretty eyes had stirred something inside him. 

“Okay!” Heechul said quickly, his voice somewhat strained, “I’m going to make Jihoon’s breakfast. Will you four get him out of bed again? Gently.”

Soonyoung volunteered right away. He was seemingly enamored with the cat hybrid, although Jihoon seemed to view him as more of a nuisance than a friend. Ilhoon followed after, never being too far away from his hamster brother. Minhyuk put his arm around Minseok’s shoulder and lead the sniffling rabbit away from the table and up the stairs. 

And now Heechul was alone.

He leaned against the kitchen sink and exhaled deeply. What was he doing? Who did he think he was, a zookeeper? He laughed softly to himself. There was no question, owning hybrids definitely made one’s life interesting. And frustrating. And complicated. 

He thought of all the times he’d had to clean up after them, to stop them from doing something dangerous, to take care of them. It was a stressful job. Maybe even moreso than actual parenting.

Then he thought of the way Minhyuk liked to cuddle up next to him and nuzzle him while he was watching TV. The way Ilhoon would shy away from most skinship, but grin so big whenever Heechul stroked his face. The way Soonyoung would melt when he got his ears scratched. Those times Jihoon would sit next to him, just close enough for the cat’s comfort, and then his tail would lazily wrap around Heechul’s leg. And then there was Minseok. His adorable beautiful fragile little Minkki. Heechul could think of so many things he liked about that bunny he didn’t know where to begin.

He glanced upwards as he heard scuffling on the floor above him. He hoped the hybrids had remembered the “gentle” part of waking Jihoon.

Yeah, he thought, life with hybrids was interesting. 

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Power - EXO


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You don't have to do that anymore. You're safe now."
> 
> Heechul thinks back to when he got Ilhoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a lot more angsty than the last, so watch out. I didn't mean for it to go on this long, I think I find making up hybrid 'culture' almost as fun as writing the pairings lol. Next chapter will get back to Minseok/Heechul though, so don't worry. ;)

Heechul buttoned up his coat hastily as he hurried to the train station. The filming hadn’t lasted as long as he thought and it looked like he’d be able to catch an early train back to Seoul. He had been preoccupied the whole shoot. The others hadn’t noticed, they had been too busy trying to make their own jokes, to get more screen time, to notice that their co-star wasn’t his usual wise-cracking self. Except for Kyunghoon. Maybe it was because they were closer in age, or that they were both singers, but Kyunghoon just seemed to get him. He could sense something was wrong even when Heechul was trying his best to hide it.

“Are you worried about the pets?” Kyunghoon had asked during one of their breaks, handing his friend a cup of coffee.

Heechul wrinkled his nose at the name. He hated calling them pets. They weren’t just animals, they were part human too. And even though yes, he technically owned them, he liked to see them more as roommates or maybe even children than his pets. But he knew he was in the minority on that thought. Along with a lot of other things.

“I left them with Leeteuk,” Heechul explained, “I know he’ll be fine, he has his own puppy, so he has experience. But it’s just…there’s a lot of them. And it takes a lot of energy. Hyung isn’t getting any younger…”

Kyunhoon snorted. “You’re crazy,” he said, “I can’t even look after one cat and you’ve got a whole zoo.”

“Yeah,” Heechul nodded, “I think I am crazy. I’ll be lucky if there’s any house left once I get back.”

Kyunghoon had just laughed and Heechul had left it at that, letting his friend think his main concern was Leeteuk’s health and the state of his property. In truth, he was most concerned how Minseok would handle being alone at night. He had told Minhyuk to stay close to the other bunny. Minhyuk was the only other one who knew the full extent of what had happened to Minseok before Heechul had adopted him. Heechul hadn’t told the other hybrids and he didn’t really talk about them that much with his friends or coworkers.

He had told Kyunghoon some things, mostly complaining when the hybrids annoyed him or made a mess of things, but the rest of it seemed too personal, too intimate. They didn’t need to know about all that. He would carry all his hybrids’ pain himself, alone.

Heechul quickly purchased his ticket, noticing he still had half an hour before the train departed. He wandered around the station impatiently, wanting nothing more than to get going. The shops inside the station were all selling the same boring tourist stuff you could find anywhere. And then his gaze fell on one small shop in an out of the way corner. On first glance it looked like a girls’ jewelry shop. But then Heechul noticed the collars hanging out front and realized it was for hybrids.

None of his hybrids had a collar. He knew most others did, they saw it as a fun accessory or a status symbol, something to show off who they belonged too. But Heechul had somehow felt too embarrassed to ask any of his if they wanted one and he didn’t want to just spring it upon them in case they didn’t like it. He worked really hard to get them to trust him, to trust humans in general again, and a collar just seemed too dominant in his opinion.

But he had to admit, they did look pretty. Under the pretense of “just killing time” Heechul found himself wandering over to the store, absently picking up one of the collars from the rack and examining it. There were lots of different colours and textures, some with little charms hanging from them or Hangul written along the side.

“Are you looking for someone in particular?” the young saleswoman asked, “What kind do you have?”

Heechul felt strange talking about it. He had the sudden urge to run from the shop, like he was doing something wrong, but he tried to keep his composure.

“Two bunnies, two hamsters, and a cat,” Heechul replied , chuckling at the way the saleswoman’s eyes widened in surprise.

“And which one were you looking for?” she asked, “Different hybrids like different materials.”

“I…I don’t know…” Heechul said, looking away, “I was just…”

He trailed off as he spotted one collar and plucked it from the shelf. It was simple black, soft, with a silver English “M” dangling from it. He had a sudden image of Minseok wearing it, looking so cute and so pretty, smiling at Heechul with that little grin of his and those big eyes. 

“Oh, that one’s perfect for a bunny,” the saleswoman said warmly, “They like ones that are more delicate.”

Heechul felt his cheeks growing hot. Why was he even doing this? He didn’t even know if Minseok would like one. He was just being selfish, wanting to see his hybrid wearing something he gave him. Something that meant he was his. Oh, why was he thinking that?

“I-I have to catch my train” Heechul stammered and hurried away from the shop. 

He sat awkwardly on a bench out of eyeline until it was time to board, chastising himself for even going into the shop in the first place. 

“They’re not pets,” he told himself, “They’re not yours to ‘own’. They’re just…”

What? What would he call them exactly? Roommates don’t snuggle and cuddle with you, don’t kiss you and tell you that they love you. And lovers don’t have ears and tails and come with adoption papers. They had to be looked after like children sometimes, but they were the size of adults. And sometimes they acted far too adult. 

Heechul thought back to when he had first brought back Ilhoon and Soonyoung. He remembered the way Ilhoon in particular had been. It had been three years earlier. Heechul had only had Minhyuk then and he had been trying to find him a companion. He felt that his little bunny was lonely when Heechul had to be at work and he’d read online that bunny hybrids did better in pairs. The adoption center where he had gotten Minhyuk had apparently closed down and so he searched around until he found one that claimed to have bunnies, along with other rare hybrids. Heechul had been intrigued and so he had gone to the address, hoping to bring back a bunny friend for Minhyuk. He hadn’t expected to rescue a handful of hybrids instead.

***

Heechul looked at the run-down apartment building in front of him. It didn’t exactly match the description on the website, but then he knew that many adoption centers didn’t have enough funds, so maybe they’d had to downsize. Heechul rung the buzzer and was soon let in to the building. Minhyuk followed after him, sticking close to his owner. Heechul noticed how different Minhyuk was outside of their house. He was very confident and cheerful, sometimes even cheeky, when he was inside familiar territory. But outside he remained shy and quiet, his hand usually reaching out to hold onto the bottom of Heechul’s shirt as they walked long. He did that now as they entered the building and went up the stairs.

The first thing Heechul noticed when the other owner opened the door was the smell. It smelled like musty socks and old food. He saw Minhyuk’s nose scrunch up, but the bunny said nothing. Heechul noticed Minhyuk did grip his shirt tighter as the disheveled looking young man at the door ushered them inside. 

“So, I got three for sale,” the man said bluntly.

“Oh…only three?” Heechul asked.

The website had boasted dozens of different breeds, but then maybe it was just out of date and they had already been adopted or something.

The man just nodded and then he called out “Hey! Get out here!”

Three hybrids silently came out from the bedroom. There was only one room, Heechul noticed, which seemed far too small for three hybrids and a human. He already felt like he was getting a headache from the small stuffy place and he’d only been there for a minute.

“There’s no bunnies…” Minhyuk said quietly.

Heechul looked at the hybrids. There were two puppies and something else that he couldn’t immediately recognize, but he knew it wasn’t a bunny.

“Oh, sorry, we were really looking for another rabbit hybrid,” Heechul said. 

His words died in his throat as he noticed the way the other hybrids’ faces fell. They had already looked somewhat defeated when they came out, but now he had made them feel even worse. 

“That one’s a hamster,” the owner shrugged, pointing to the one Heechul couldn’t tell, “It’s pretty much the same.”

Minhyuk was pouting, but Heechul couldn’t bring himself to leave now, not with all of them staring at him like that. They had already come this far, maybe he could convince Minhyuk to go for a hamster instead. That is, if they got along well together.

“Well, I’ve never seen a hamster before,” Heechul said, then he turned to the hybrid, “What’s your name?”

“Soonyoung,” the hamster replied, smiling slightly now that he was being paid attention to, “But my nickname is 10:10 because of my eyes.”

He grinned bigger, his eyes disappearing into little lines as he brought his fingers up to his face, mimicking the way his eye shape curved upwards. Heechul chuckled. He had to admit, the hamster did have a very endearing look. 

“This is Minhyuk,” Heechul said, slightly pushing his bunny hybrid forward, “He’s been with me for a year now.”

Minhyuk waved shyly, not quite sure what he should say. Luckily Soonyoung broke the ice for him.

“Wow!” Soonyoung exclaimed, “You ears are so pretty!” He reached out to touch one of Minhyuk’s soft brown ears, looking like an awestruck kid. “My ears are so small. Most people can’t tell what I am. And I don’t have a tail. Do you have a tail?”

Minhyuk nodded, grinning shyly at the talkative little hamster now softly petting his ears. 

The owner tapped Heechul on the shoulder. “You want a drink or something?” he mumbled, seeming to be only asking out of politeness.

“Oh, no thank you,” Heechul replied as he sat down on the drooping couch, instantly regretting it as he noticed a large stain beside him.

The owner said nothing else as he walked to the fridge and pulled out some soju, drinking straight from the bottle. Heechul turned his attention to the puppy hybrids. The smaller blonde one was looking down at the floor, his ears flat against his head and his tail hanging limply behind him. The larger one had been absently wagging his tail, but it stopped when the owner pulled the bottle from the fridge. 

More and more Heechul was getting a bad vibe from this place. Though Soonyoung was chatting happily with Minhyuk now, the other hybrids did not look happy. He knew adoption centers weren’t exactly the most fun place for a hybrid to be, but none of the ones that he had seen when he got Minhyuk had looked like this. Of course the adoption center hadn’t looked like this pigsty either.  
“What are your names?” Heechul asked the two puppies still standing awkwardly across the room, not sure what to do with themselves.

“Baekhyun,” the blonde one replied quietly.

He didn’t look up and his ears remained flat. The larger one next to him began wagging his tail though at the sound of Heechul’s voice and came over to sit on the couch. He was obviously younger and not as used to disappointment. Minhyuk had told Heechul after living in the adoption center for so long, you learned not get your hopes up, not until you were actually in your new house. And even then it wasn’t always a sure thing. Many people brought their hybrids back. Heechul guessed Baekhyun had already come to this conclusion, but the other puppy was still young.

“I’m Donghan,” he said, “I’m one year old. And I’m a really good puppy. I don’t eat a lot even though I’m big. I mean, I always want to eat more, but I can bear not having a lot of food. It’s okay.”

“Aish!” Baekhyun exclaimed, stealing a glance at their owner.

Luckily the slob was too busy playing some game on his phone as he knocked back his bottle of soju like it was water. Donghan’s tail stopped wagging as he looked down, ashamed. Alarm bells were starting to go off in Heechul’s head now. He was starting to really suspect that this owner wasn’t able to look after his hybrids. He glanced over at Minhyuk and Soonyoung who were both smiling and talking happily. Minhyuk seemed to like this hamster at least. Heechul had made up his mind then that he would adopt him. And he would ask around his friends and co-workers if they’d adopt the other two puppies. He didn’t want them to stay in a place like this either.

Minhyuk let out a little yelp as Soonyoung pinned him to the ground. Heechul was startled for a moment, but then he saw Minhyuk laughing as he playfully wrestled with the hamster. He was slightly concerned though that they were both rolling around on the filthy floor. He was about to tell them to knock it off when the bedroom door opened and an auburn head poked out.

It was another hybrid, a hamster, Heechul guessed, judging from the short ears and cute chubby cheeks like Soonyoung’s.

“Minhyuk?” the other hamster asked, “Minhyuk!”

He rushed over to the pair excitedly and Minhyuk stopped playing around with Soonyoung.

“Ilhoon?” he asked, “What are you doing here?”

“The other place closed down,” the hamster said, “So they sent us all over the city. I didn’t think I’d see you again! So you were-” 

“Hey!” the owner called out from the kitchen, setting his phone down, “What are you doing out here? I told you to stay in there!”

Minhyuk shrunk back at the sharp tone and the smile quickly faded from Soonyoung’s cheery face. Heechul watched sadly as all the hybrids seemed to be in a state of minor distress. The puppy next to him leaned into him for comfort as the other one pressed against the wall, trying to appear smaller. Ilhoon had grabbed onto Minhyuk’s arm, as if the bunny hybrid could actually protect him.

“Get back in there!” the owner called out.

“Take me with you,” Ilhoon whispered to Minhyuk.

The owner hadn’t heard it, but Heechul had. Now the alarm bells in his head were definitely ringing. Loudly.

“I-I want Ilhoon,” Minhyuk said, grabbing onto his friend quickly, sensing the sudden fear in the air.

Heechul could see he was shaking slightly, no doubt scared of what the other owner might do or say. Minhyuk didn’t need to worry though. Heechul would never let anything happen to him. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to any of them.

“He’s not for sale,” the owner said.

Heechul watched as Ilhoon pressed himself harder against Minhyuk and the bunny clung to the hamster tightly. Heechul knew Minhyuk’s resolve, once he wanted something he was determined to get it.

“I can pay you more for him, if you want,” Heechul offered, hoping money could diffuse the situation.

“That one’s not for sale,” the owner repeated stubbornly, “I’m trying to get rid of the other ones.”

Get rid of. It was a terrible way to talk about hybrids, not that this guy seemed to have any sensitivity in the first place.

“It’s okay,” Soonyoung said to his owner, “I can take his place. I’ll be good, really. I can be so good.”

Ilhoon was shaking his head now, as if warning Soonyoung. He seemed close to tears. 

“Me too,” Baekhyun piped up, “I can take his place too.”

Heechul was confused now. What did they mean, “take his place”? Weren’t they already all living with this guy? What kind of leverage did they possibly have?

“I don’t want you,” the owner spat out and Heechul felt his blood begin to boil.

Heechul was determined now. He was definitely taking Ilhoon away from here. And the rest of them too. He didn’t need a new car that badly anyway. He could wait.

“Look,” Heechul said, “I came here to buy one bunny. That was all I had planned to spend. But I’ll buy all of them from you, if you let me buy Ilhoon too. That’s three times more than I was going to give you.”

Baekhyun’s ears perked up at this sudden development and Donghan’s tail began wagging slightly against Heechul’s leg. Everyone was silent as they waited, Ilhoon watching intently. For a moment Heechul was worried the owner might really reject his offer. Then he’d have no choice but to come in with the authorities. But thankfully the jerk took it.

“Fine,” he said, “I can buy a nice cat with that. Better than a rodent anyway.”

Heechul was so relieved, he couldn’t even be bothered to tell the guy off. Instead he pulled out his chequebook and wrote a cheque as fast as he could. He wanted to get them all out of there, now. The hybrids all seemed stunned. None of them moved as Heechul finished up the adoption process.

“Get your shit together,” the owner barked at them, “You’re all out of here!”

The puppies and hamsters raced into the bedroom and were fully packed within a minute. Heechul felt his heart wrench when he saw that between the four of them they only had one backpack. He was going to spoil them so much when they got back to his house. He was going to buy them everything they ever wanted. He didn’t care if he went broke.

The hybrids were quiet as they left, although Donghan’s tail was wagging like crazy. Heechul figured they were probably still in a state of shock. Minhyuk had both arms around Ilhoon, forcing them to walk in an awkward hug, but he was still too determined to let his friend go. It wasn’t until they had all squeezed themselves into Heechul’s car that someone finally spoke.

“Are you a prince?” Donghan asked.

“Huh?”

“You have so much money,” Donghan exclaimed, “And you just rescued all of us! You must be a prince. Do you live in a castle?”

Well it probably would seem like a castle compared to that dump…

“No, I’m not a prince,” Heechul said, “I’m just someone who thinks hybrids should be treated right.”

He looked into the backseat. Baekhyun was actually smiling, his sandy coloured ears now sticking up instead of flat against his head. Soonyoung seemed happy too, his eyes in their signature 10:10 form. Ilhoon was the only one who still seemed dumbstruck by the whole situation. Minhyuk was nuzzling against his neck, happily rubbing himself against his friend to show his affection, but Ilhoon wasn’t responding. Heechul was worried for a moment and then the hamster finally spoke.

“Really?” he asked, quietly, “We’re leaving? Really?”

“Yeah,” Minhyuk said, “You get to come home.”

And Ilhoon’s face broke into the most adorable smile Heechul had ever seen. (That is, before he found Minseok) It was so cute, Heechul just wanted to pinch his chubby cheeks.

Home. He was going home. To a real one. 

Ilhoon smiled the whole car ride. He smiled when he saw how big Heechul’s house was. He smiled when Heechul gave him fresh clothes. He smiled when he learned he got to take a shower alone and not with three other hybrids. But he was no longer smiling as he emerged from the shower, clean and fresh and smelling nice. He seemed serious as he entered Heechul’s room, clad in only a pair of sweatpants, his hair still wet. The others had since gone to bed, the two puppies curling up together and Soonyoung bunking with Minhyuk, waiting for Ilhoon to come and join them.

“Is everything alright?” Heechul asked as he put his tablet down.

“It’s perfect,” Ilhoon said, his voice seeming somewhat stilted, “Thank you.”

He approached the bed and Heechul didn’t know why he suddenly felt slightly nervous. This was a little hamster hybrid, not one of the bigger dogs or cats. But there was a look in Ilhoon’s eyes that he couldn’t quite decipher.

“Really, thank you,” Ilhoon said and he kissed Heechul’s cheek.

That part was nothing new when it came to owning hybrids. Minhyuk kissed him and cuddled with him all the time. It was new however when Ilhoon suddenly straddled him and kissed him on the lips. Heechul pushed Ilhoon back, feeling strange touching the hybrid’s bare chest in this situation.

“What are you doing?” Heechul breathed, feeling somewhat suffocated beneath the hamster.

Ilhoon was moving slightly on his lap, trying to grind against him as Heechul tried to sink further back into the bed to get away.

“I’m a good pet,” Ilhoon said, his eyes sleepy and half-lidded, “I’ll be good for you.”

His hand reached down to the waistband of Heechul’s pants, trying to slide underneath, and the full realization suddenly hit Heechul like a ton of bricks. Now he understood why the other owner hadn’t wanted to let Ilhoon go, why Soonyoung and Bakehyun had been trying to convince him to let them take Ilhoon’s place. This was what that owner made his hybrid do for him. And judging from Ilhoon’s insistence on Heechul adopting him, he most likely hadn’t enjoyed it. Heechul felt sick.

He quickly grabbed Ilhoon’s wrist and held it, stopping him from going further.

“You don’t have to do that,” Heechul said, “I don’t want that from you.”

“Oh. What do you want then?” Ilhoon asked, apparently not understanding, “Tell me what you want and I’ll do it.”

“No, I mean I didn’t adopt you for sex,” Heechul said, “I adopted you so you could spend time with Minhyuk and be happy.”

He saw Ilhoon falter. The steely gaze in his eyes, the almost predatory look, was gone now, replaced instead by tears shining at the corners. 

“Don’t lie…” Ilhoon said, his voice breaking slightly.

Heechul reached up and wiped away the tears threatening to fall. Then he stroked the hamster’s cheek. 

“I’m not lying,” Heechul said, sincerely, “You don’t have to do any of that anymore. You’re safe now.”

Ilhoon’s face suddenly crumbled at those last words and Heechul was nearly knocked over by the hamster flinging his arms around him. Ilhoon buried his face in Heechul’s shoulder, his sobs muffled. Heechul patted his head and pet his ears gently, trying to make his touches as loving and non-sexual as possible. Ilhoon calmed down after a few moments, but he didn’t let go of Heechul. And later he fell asleep curled up beside him, one hand holding onto the bottom of Heechul’s pajama top the way Minhyuk liked to do.

***

The memory replayed in Heechul’s mind as he rode the train back to Seoul. In the end he had given the puppies away to Leeteuk and Junhyung. He had wanted to focus more on his three rodents and felt he wasn’t ready to look after dog hybrids just yet. Now he had another bunny and a cat to deal with. He definitely was full of experience at this point.

Heechul gazed out the window absently. Ilhoon had been gentle and clingy when he had first gotten him. Now he was a feisty independent little hamster. Heechul wondered if Minseok would be the same. He had found him just under a year ago and while the bunny had become more confident around the house since then he still had a lot to work through. 

Heechul willed the train to move faster. There were no messages from Leeteuk, which meant things should have been fine, but he was still worried. All he wanted was to hold his scared little bunny in his arms again and tell him everything would be alright.

I’m coming home, he thought. Just wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Beyond the Time - BTOB


	3. The Calm Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heechul returns home, but not everyone is happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I strongly recommend people watch the video "Flirty Kim Heechul Part 2" by heenim 8 to get into the right mood. ;) Also I realize in real life all of them are around the same height as Heechul except for Jihoon, so just pretend for the sake of the story that they're all slightly shorter. (And Jihoon is a lot shorter, of course haha)

It was late morning by the time Heechul arrived home. He was sure almost all the hybrids would be up and about by now, save for Jihoon. Heechul felt strange inside. He’d only been gone for one night, but it felt like much longer. Was this how parents felt the first time they left their children with a babysitter overnight? He was excited to see them all again, but nervous at the same time. Leeteuk hadn’t sent any messages of distress while he was gone, but that didn’t mean everything had gone smoothly.

Heechul opened the front door, his heart beating fast in his chest. His nervousness disappeared slightly when he saw the sweet sight in front of him. Leeteuk was lounging on the couch in his pajamas, looking sleepy, but content. Baekhyun was curled up on one side of him, his tail wagging lazily. Minhyuk was on the other side, his head in Leeteuk’s lap, enjoying the ear scratches he was receiving. Ilhoon and Soonyoung were sitting on the floor in front of them, engrossed in a game of gonggi.

At that moment Heechul really did feel like a father (or was he the wife?) returning home to his spouse and family. He’d never had any romantic feelings towards Leeteuk, but he had to admit his hyung looked so handsome and fatherly (guess Heechul was the wife after all) sitting there in his dark navy coloured pajamas, his hair still tousled from sleep, his gaze towards the hybrids loving and warm. If Heechul had been a girl he would have wanted to marry Leeteuk right then and there.

He felt his heart flutter even more at the hybrids’ reaction to his entrance. Minhyuk rose from the couch immediately, his face breaking out into a smile as he called out “Heenim!” Ilhoon stopped playing mid-turn, the stone from the gonggi game rolling across the floor, forgotten, as he leapt up to his feet. Soonyoung turned around, his confused look quickly turning into his adorable 10:10 smile. 

Suddenly Heechul was nearly knocked over by three hybrids attaching themselves to him. Everyone was talking at once, vying for his attention as they grabbed onto him. And then there was a fourth body added to the mix. Baekhyun was a puppy hybrid after all, and the excitement of the others had been too irresistible for him not to join in.

“Heenim, we ate pizza…” Soonyoung was babbling.

“We did karaoke and Minhyuk was really good…” Baekhyun added.

“Did you get us anything? Did you bring back presents?” Ilhoon was asking.

“Seems like you had a lot of fun,” Heechul said, laughing as he tried to give everyone an equal amount of petting. 

“Well, you were definitely missed,” Leeteuk said, chuckling, “I see you’ve even acquired a new puppy.”

Heechul tried to disentangle himself from the clump of hybrids. It was slightly overwhelming as each one was trying to gain as much contact with him as they could. Minhyuk nuzzled against one side of his neck while the usually more reserved Ilhoon did the same on the other. He could feel Soonyoung’s cheek pressed against the back of his shoulder as the hamster hugged him from behind. And Baekhyun was trying to squeeze himself in beside any of them, his tail wagging happily.

“Is Jihoon still asleep?” Heechul asked.

“Yeah, I tried to wake him up before, but he just told me to piss off,” Soonyoung said, talking into Heechul’s shoulder.

That sounded about right for the cat. Jihoon hated getting out of bed in the morning and usually had to be persuaded several times before he would finally get up. More than once Heechul had heard the harsh words the cat hybrid had snapped at the others. Heechul had scolded him then and Jihoon had listened, but he guessed since he had been away the cat had lapsed back into his old habits.

“And Minseok?” Heechul asked.

The little lop’s absence was definitely felt, even with four other hybrids clinging to him. It occurred to him then just how much Minseok really meant to him. He had all the love in the world pouring out to him now, but it just wasn’t enough without Minkki too.

Minhyuk let go of Heechul, staring down at the floor, his ears drooping slightly.

“I did like you asked, Heenim,” he said sadly, “I stayed with him all night. But then he didn’t want to get out of bed…and I was hungry…”

He absently chewed at the edge of his sleeve; the bunnies had a bad habit of chewing things when they were nervous. Minhyuk wouldn’t meet his gaze now, but Heechul pulled away from the others and took the hybrid’s face in his hands. He kissed the top of Minhyuk’s forehead gently.

“It’s okay,” Heechul said, “You did a good job. Thank you for taking care of Minkki.”

Minhyuk’s cheeks flushed at Heechul’s words and he quickly looked away again, chewing even more on his sleeve. From his experience with the breed Heechul knew bunnies also chewed things when they were embarrassed or ashamed. He wondered just what had happened while he had been away, but he didn’t want to question Minhyuk in front of the others.

“Did you bring us something?” Ilhoon was asking, poking the bag at Heechul’s side as he tried to see inside.

Soonyoung joined him and Heechul squirmed as the hamster slipped his hand into Heechul’s pocket like the most adorable thief.

“Yes, yes, I did,” Heechul said, gently swatting away the hamsters’ prying hands.

He pulled out several pairs of brightly patterned socks and waved them in the air. You would have thought he’d bought them all ipads with how excited they now were. It was something he had been doing for a while, but they never seemed to get tired of it. He had a hunch why. He knew hybrids liked wearing the things their owners gave them, something to show who they belonged to, that was why so many of them liked collars. 

But Heechul wasn’t ready for collars yet, so the socks tradition had been born. Still, they seemed to really cherish them. He remembered the time Soonyoung had gotten a hole in one of his favourite Anpanman pair and he had cried until Heechul sewed it back together for him. 

The little hamster was all smiles now though as he pulled on a pair of bright green socks with Super Mario’s Yoshi along the side. Leeteuk was just shaking his head, a wry smile at the corner of his lips as he watched them. 

“Heechul-ah,” Leeteuk said, chuckling, “You’re the only owner I know who can win over his hybrids with socks. They must really adore you.”

It was then that Heechul noticed Baekhyun pouting. The puppy hybrid leaned into Leeteuk, his tail wagging somewhat forlornly, disappointed that there was no gift for him. But he should have known Heechul had far too much experience with hybrids to make that mistake.

Heechul reached into his bag and pulled out a packet of nicely wrapped snacks. These weren’t the kind you bought at the convenience store, but the traditional ones that were handmade in one of those quaint shops run by a little old ahjumma. 

“I didn’t forget about you Baekhyunnie,” Heechul said, handing him the treats.

As Bakehyun took them gratefully Heechul had to laugh at the look on Leeteuk’s face.

“It was only fair…” Heechul explained.

He laughed even more as Baekhyun kissed his cheek and Leeteuk fumed in mock anger.

“Don’t you have enough hybrids already?” Leeteuk asked, grinning, “Don’t try to take mine too, Mr. Universe’s Biggest Star.”

The mood was jovial, but Heechul soon felt it disappear as he looked over at Minhyuk. The bunny was sitting in one of the chairs, holding his socks sadly. Unlike the hamsters who were proudly showing theirs off, Minhyuk still hadn’t put his on. He was too busy slowly trying to shred his shirtsleeve with his non-stop chewing. Leeteuk followed Heechul’s gaze and quickly seemed to suss out the situation. The older singer ushered Baekhyun out of the kitchen, following after the hamsters who were already chasing each other around the living room.

Heechul put a reassuring hand on Minhyuk’s shoulder and the bunny looked up.

“I tried to cheer up Minkki,” Minhyuk said sadly, “I…I didn’t do a very good job…”

“Shhh,” Heechul said, petting the rabbit’s ears, “I’m sure you did just fine.”

Minhyuk shook his head. “I think…I did something I shouldn’t have…”

And then the shirtsleeve returned, the endless chewing something to distract him from what was eating away at him inside. Heechul wasn’t worried too much. He knew Minhyuk was a good bunny and cared for Minseok with all his heart. Whatever guilt he was carrying now was mostly likely over something very insignificant. He took his “big brother” role in their little family very seriously after all.

Heechul gently took hold of the sleeve and pulled it away from Minhyuk’s mouth. The bunny’s lower lip was trembling as Heechul looked into his eyes. Heechul leaned down and kissed it before Minhyuk could say anything else. And just like that, Minhyuk seemed to calm down. It was as if Heechul could cast a spell with his kisses. 

He brushed back Minhyuk’s hair.

“Minhyukie,” he said and the rabbit’s ears twitched at the sound of his name said so sweetly, “Don’t worry. You did good.”

Minhyuk’s cheeks flushed pink, just the same as Minseok’s had when Heechul had gazed into his eyes. There was no denying, the charm of Kim Heechul was greater than any magic power. Minhyuk instinctively leaned forward, as if he was about to go for another kiss, then he stopped himself.

“You should go see him,” he said, “He really missed you.”

Heechul wanted nothing more than to do that. It had been weighing on his mind the whole way back. He wanted to make sure Minseok was alright, of course. But he wanted to make sure of the same of Minhyuk too. Just because Minkki was his favourite (oh, was he really admitting that now?) didn’t mean he didn’t care about the others.

Heechul cupped the side of Minhyuk’s face. Then he leaned in and kissed him again, softly on the lips. He lingered a bit longer this time, slightly pulling at the hybrid’s pouting lower lip and he heard Minhyuk give a sharp inhale. It was still a fairly chaste kiss, he would never just make out with the hybrids, but it was one with slightly more feeling to it than the usual little pecks they did. He hoped Minhyuk could feel the sincerity behind it. He gave the rabbit one last pat on the head, then headed upstairs.

The door to Minseok and Minhyuk’s room was shut, but it was light inside when Heechul entered. Minhyuk had opened the curtains before he left, giving Heechul a perfect view of the messy bedroom. There were two beds, but most of the time both bunnies slept in one. That had obviously been the case last night since the one bed was still neatly made, tucked in at the corners the way Heechul had done it after doing the washing. 

The other bed was a different story. It looked like Heechul’s laundry hamper had exploded all over it. Actually, as he came closer, he was sure that was what had happened. All of his dirty clothes were piled up on Minseok’s bed, with the little bunny curled up amongst them. Even without a hybrid’s sense of smell Heechul could smell his own scent coming from the bed. The clothing had been tucked in all around Minseok, almost in the shape of a little nest, Heechul noted. No doubt it was Minhyuk’s doing. He had made sure to make Minseok cozy before he left the room in the morning. 

As Heechul crept closer to the sleeping bunny he noticed Minseok was actually wearing one of his shirts, the large t-shirt looking more like a nightdress on the smaller hybrid. Heechul gently climbed onto the bed and leaned over Minseok. He kissed his cheek, mirroring the way the bunny had woken him up the day before. Minseok’s ears twitched slightly.

“Minkki,” Heechul whispered, “Wake up Minkki…”

Minseok slowly opened his eyes. Heechul had been expecting a smile, maybe more kisses. Or even tears. But instead Minseok just looked at him, gave a little “hm” noise and rolled over, turning away from his owner. Heechul was stunned for a moment. It was the least enthusiastic greeting he had received from any of them when it should have been the most. Maybe the rabbit just wasn’t fully awake…

“Minkki…” Heechul said softly, petting the hybrid’s ears and back, “Wake up…”

“I am awake,” came the terse reply, “Leave me alone.”

“Minkki, it’s Heechul appa…”

“Go away.”

So he was upset. He was upset that Heechul had left him, even just for a night. Heechul knew Minseok had been through so much, but he had been getting better and he figured the bunny would be okay for one night, especially with the others and Leeteuk around. But apparently he had been wrong. Minseok was still scared to be without him and Heechul had made him suffer through it. He felt so guilty. He should have done more for Minseok. He should have told work he couldn’t do it. He should never have left.

“I’m sorry,” Heechul said, “I didn’t want to leave you.” 

Minseok said nothing as he continued to stare pointedly at the wall. 

“I never want to leave you…” Heechul continued.

Minseok’s ears twitched once, but he still remained silent. He was determined to continue pouting it seemed, much to Heechul’s dismay. But if he had wanted to make Heechul feel guilty he didn’t need to do it. Heechul already felt it. He had even before he got home.

“I got you a present,” Heechul went on. 

He had been hoping the lure of a gift would rouse the hybrid, but no such luck. 

“Hm,” was all Minseok said, acknowledging that Heechul had spoken and nothing more.

Heechul softly pet the rabbit’s ears, but Minseok didn’t move. Heechul sighed. It made his heart ache to see him like this, but what else could he do? He couldn’t force Minseok to look at him. Not that he would ever use force against the rabbit, even if he had done something bad. His fingers traced gently over the scar on the bottom of Minseok’s ear, a gruesome souvenir from the hybrid’s life before.

Oh how could Heechul have been so selfish? How could he have left his little bunny alone?

He pressed his face gently against the hybrid’s wounded ear. 

“I love you Minseok-ah,” he whispered.

He placed his present in front of Minseok’s face. It was a stuffed “Loppi” bunny, one with cute eyes, chubby cheeks and lop ears like Minseok’s. It was even holding a little strawberry in its paws. 

Heechul rose from the bed and went to leave the room.

“Heechul appa!”

He looked back. Minseok was sitting up in the bed, his eyes shiny with tears as he gripped the stuffed bunny to his chest.

“Don’t go…” he said quietly.

Heechul rushed over to him and Minseok hugged him tightly, the stuffed bunny squished between them. 

“I didn’t mean it,” Minseok was babbling, “I’m not mad. I love you too.”

Heechul smiled as he wiped away a tear from the bunny’s cheek. Then he cupped Minseok’s face in his hands, squeezing the hybrid’s cheeks slightly.

“How are you so cute, even when you cry?” he asked and Minseok was smiling now.

What was that nickname Zhoumi had given him when Heechul had showed him a picture of Minseok? “Baozi.” That was right. The bunny was like a cute little dumpling. Or maybe more like a starfish at the moment, since he now had both arms around Heechul’s neck and his legs wrapped around Heechul’s waist. 

Heechul kissed him sweetly on the lips, the hybrid’s face still squished between his hands. But he felt his heart flip-flop as he realized he wanted more. He wanted to kiss Minseok as he had with Minhyuk before. He wanted to make the hybrid’s heart beat faster, the way his beat whenever he was with him like this. 

But he couldn’t. It didn’t feel right. Minkki was so innocent and he had enough trust issues. Heechul couldn’t blur the line any more than it already was. He didn’t think Minseok could handle it.

Minseok leaned in to kiss Heechul, but once again it was just short and sweet. No, this little bunny didn’t seem to have any lustful feelings at all, which made Heechul feel slightly ashamed of himself. He was so conflicted inside. Here was Minseok straddling his owner in only a t-shirt and his underwear, Heechul now noticed, and still remaining so…pure.

And Heechul realized he would do anything to protect that. If that meant ignoring his own confusing feelings forever, then he would do it. 

“I really missed you,” Heechul said.

“Me too.”

He reached up to scratch behind Minseok’s ears. Then, almost devilishly, he found the ticklish spot. Heechul laughed as Minseok squirmed, his little nose scrunching up as he hunched his shoulders.

“Ah stop it,” Minseok whined as he tried to wriggle off of Heechul’s lap.

But Heechul was relentless. Minseok was giggling as he backed up against the headboard, trying his best to escape from his “mean” owner. Heechul followed him, pressing the bunny down into the mattress. In his fight to escape, Minseok swiped the pillow off of the bed. And something else went flying with it. There was a tremendous shattering noise and Minseok’s eyes went wide.

Heechul stopped tickling the rabbit and looked down at the floor. There were big shards of green coloured glass everywhere. He was confused for a moment until he saw the neck of a bottle lying amidst the mess and realized that Minseok had just accidentally smashed a wine bottle. A wine bottle that had been hidden in his bed. An obviously empty wine bottle, judging by the dry floor.

Was this why Minhyuk had been destroying his shirtsleeve downstairs? He had spent the night with Minseok after all, so he must have known about it. Or had it been his idea? Heechul had never caught any of the hybrids drinking before. They had never even asked him for any when he had the occasional drink himself. He had figured they knew it was a human thing, something they weren’t supposed to try. Out of all the hybrids though, he was shocked that it had been Minseok.

Before he could ask about it though there was a shriek from the next room.

“No! Stop it! Stop! Please!” someone was yelling.

Minseok’s legs wrapped tighter around Heechul as the bunny tensed in fright. Heechul’s own heart was beating fast in his chest. He didn’t know what was happening out there. All he knew was that he had to go help. But Minseok wouldn’t let him go. Under normal circumstances Heechul would have attempted to carry the scared bunny with him, but there was glass all over the floor. He couldn’t risk dropping Minseok if he stepped on a piece.

“Minkki, you have to let me go,” Heechul said, “Just stay here, it’ll be okay. I’ll come right back.”

He thought the bunny would protest, would cling to him even tighter, but to his surprise Minseok loosened his grip. He really did trust Heechul to protect him. 

Heechul hopped off the bed and made his way through the glass scattered around the floor as quickly and safely as he could. Minseok watched him go, holding his stuffed bunny to his chest. He was being a good, obedient hybrid. Somehow that made Heechul feel worse than if he had been clingy. But right now he couldn’t think about that. 

He had to go save someone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Bus Stop - Jaehyo


	4. Stuck in Trauma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heechul can't forget the night he found Minseok, no matter how hard he tries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be warned, this chapter is full of angst! This is where we find out what happened to Minseok. I didn't describe it as it was happening, just the aftermath, but if you are squeamish towards violence or trauma then you should probably skip this chapter.

Heechul’s heart was hammering in his chest as he burst out into the hall. There he saw Soonyoung standing in front of Jihoon’s bedroom, clutching his face. The hamster was crying pitifully. As Heechul came closer his stomach lurched. There was blood dripping down Soonyoung’s cheek.

It’s just like before, just like when you found-

Heechul’s protective urge overrode the bad memories coming to the surface. He couldn’t think about Minseok, he had to be here in the present, with Soonyoung.

“What happened?” he asked urgently.

Soonyoung was a blubbering mess. His normally cheerful face was now a mask of pain and sorrow as he wailed, tears dripping down his face. Heechul had never seen the little hamster this upset and it was definitely jarring. 

“Jihoon…” Soonyoung cried, hardly able to get any words out, “Jihoon…scratched…”

He started sobbing again and now Leeteuk was hurrying up the stairs, concerned with all the commotion. Heechul took Soonyoung by the shoulders.

“It’s okay. You’re okay,” he said, trying to calm the distraught hamster, although he hardly believed the words himself.

There was a lot of blood smeared on Soonyoung’s face and Heechul couldn’t see the exact damage. He gently gripped the hybrid’s hand, trying to pull it away from his cheek.

“Let me see,” Heechul said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible, but he could feel his voice wavering slightly.

There were three deep furrows carved into the hamster’s cute chubby cheek, and two more long slashes under his jaw, dangerously close to his neck. Heechul couldn’t believe that Jihoon had done this. These weren’t just little scratches, they were cuts like those of a knife. Heechul knew that cat hybrids were the only ones with claws, but he had never thought it would be an issue. In the six months Jihoon had been with them Heechul had never once seen him extend them. If he had known he had been living with a hybrid that was essentially carrying weapons he would have done something about it sooner. But now it was too late.

Leeteuk was petting Soonyoung’s ears as Heechul surveyed the damage. There were cuts on the hamster’s hands as well, indicating he had tried to defend himself as Jihoon came at him. Once again memories were welling up inside Heechul’s mind. 

Minseok’s bloody hands. Minseok’s bloody face.

No. Don’t go back there. You have to take care of Soonyoung right now. 

“Hyung, there’s a first aid kit under the sink downstairs,” Heechul said, going into protective owner mode, “Can you bring it up here?” 

Leeteuk nodded and hurried off. Heechul noticed Jihoon’s door was still open. The cat hybrid could hear everything, but he hadn’t come out. Heechul didn’t bother even looking in on him as he slammed the door shut. He would deal with Jihoon later. Right now he needed to fix up Soonyoung.

The hamster was still crying as Heechul lead him into the bathroom, his breath hitching in his chest. 

“I just…wanted him…to wake up…” Soonyoung said, his words coming out between sobs.

Heechul pet his ears and smoothed back his hair. He figured Soonyoung was probably so upset more from being surprised than in pain. The hamster had burned himself trying to cook once and had hardly batted an eye, but he was a wreck right now. Heechul knew how much Soonyoung wanted to befriend Jihoon, how hard he tried, but the cat seemed to rebuff him at every turn. That was probably a big part of the hamster’s sadness now.

Heechul got a damp washcloth and began to gently clean away the blood from the hybrid’s face. The cuts weren’t as deep as he had thought and the blood had already slowed. Still, the fact that Jihoon had done it in the first place was extremely disconcerning. He would have to be punished. But how, Heechul didn’t know. He’d never had to punish any of the other hybrids before. Well not a “real” punishment anyway. None of them had ever done anything as serious as this.

He could hear someone coming down the hall now. He figured it must have been Leeteuk with the first aid kit. But he was surprised to see Minseok standing in the doorway, still wearing only a t-shirt and underwear. 

“Heechul appa, I tried to clean up, but…” Minseok was saying quietly, “I hurt my hand…”

He held out his palm, showing a small cut across the skin. It was shallow, hardly bleeding at all, but it didn’t matter. In an instant the memories that Heechul had been trying to keep locked away came flooding back.

Minseok’s bloody hands… Minseok’s bloody face…

He couldn’t keep them away any longer.

***

It was last spring. Leeteuk had been visiting with Baekhyun, along with Eunhyuk and Donghae. Heechul had gone out with Minhyuk to pick up some snacks. It had still been a bit cold then, but the weather was better than it had been the previous week, so they were taking their time walking, going a round-a-bout way just to get a little more fresh air. The house was a bit chaotic with four hybrids and four humans and Heechul figured Minhyuk would probably appreciate getting out.

The bunny was smiling as they walked, swinging the plastic shopping bag he carried. He was more comfortable now, after living with Heechul for three years, and he no longer held onto his owner when they were out. He knew the neighbourhood well, and he walked with confidence. Heechul was happy at how much Minhyuk had grown, but at the same time he was slightly melancholy too. It was as if his cute little bunny was all grown up now. He was still very affectionate, and it was obvious he loved his owner a lot, but Heechul no longer felt so much like the protector anymore. Now he was just a provider. How very safe and boring that was. He had gone from knight in shining armor to frumpy middle aged housewife. But if Minhyuk was happy, then he was happy. 

Minhyuk stopped walking suddenly as they passed by the large park bordering the edge of the neighbourhood. His ears stiffened as he scrunched up his nose. 

“What? What is it?” Heechul asked.

He watched as Minhyuk began to sniff. 

“There’s another bunny nearby!” Minhyuk said excitedly.

There was good reason for him to be excited. More and more Heechul had come to realize just how rare bunny hybrids actually were. Hamsters for that matter, too. Over 90% of the hybrids in the country were either dog or cat. Only 8% were rodents and the remaining 2% were other random types that were usually too few to classify a specific grouping. (Or sadly, were considered “failed experiments”) 

Heechul expected Minhyuk to start begging him to go and find the other hybrid. And Heechul would, of course. But instead the rabbit’s smile disappeared from his face and he looked sickened. His ears began to droop as he instinctively took a step backward.

“What?” Heechul asked, slightly worried now.

“I…I smell blood,” Minhyuk said, “A lot of it…”

Heechul was more than slightly worried now. “We should go,” he said, reaching out to pull Minhyuk in the other direction, but the rabbit protested.

“No!” Minhyuk said, “It’s rabbit blood. Maybe they’re hurt or something. We need to help.”

Heechul didn’t think it was such a good idea to go running headfirst into a situation with a lot of blood already in it, but he knew he would never be able to persuade Minhyuk not to. He had learned long ago that if Minhyuk wanted to do something, he was going to do it. He may have been the sweetest little bunny in the world, but he had the will of a tiger. And Heechul could never say no.

As if to prove his point, Minhyuk was already striding into the park, following the source of the scent. Heechul hurried after him, ready to protect the stubborn little hybrid. Minhyuk followed the path into a small copse of trees and then veered off to the left, moving through some low bushes. It was darker here, but there was still some illumination shining from the lights back on the pathway. Heechul obediently followed behind the rabbit until Minhyuk suddenly held up his hand behind him, signalling Heechul to stop.

Heechul looked around Minhyuk. Sitting there beneath a large shrub in the half-darkness was a little lop-eared bunny hybrid. He was crying as he rocked back and forth slightly, his shaking hands balled into little fists. His blood covered hands, Heechul noticed. 

“H-hi…” Minhyuk started, slowly raising an unsure hand in greeting.

It seemed a bit of an odd thing to say, but Heechul supposed there weren’t really many ways to start a conversation with a bleeding hybrid in a park.

The bunny looked up suddenly, his big brown eyes staring at them, wide and terrified. He had blood on his face too, Heechul noticed. It was smeared across his cheek and dripping down his neck slightly, staining the collar of his shirt. He didn’t say a word as he just stared at them, frozen in fright. 

“It’s okay,” Heechul said, “We won’t hurt you. It’s okay…”

He crouched down to make himself appear less imposing and Minhyuk did the same. The scared bunny still didn’t say anything, but had gone back to crying and rocking again. It was almost as if he didn’t see them, or maybe he just didn’t want to see them. 

“It’s okay,” Minhyuk said, “I’m a bunny too.”

He began to creep forward, still crouched down, moving slowly so as not to startle the other hybrid. Soon he was very close to the injured bunny. He said nothing as he waited in front of the crying rabbit and Heechul guessed maybe he was letting the other hybrid catch his scent first. Heechul waited too, not sure of what to do.

And then the little bunny finally spoke.

“Help me…please…” he said quietly, the words choked with tears.

“Of course,” Minhyuk said, “But…what happened?”

The bunny gingerly touched at one of his lop ears and now Heechul could see what had been the source of the blood on his face. The ear had a large cut going into it and was bleeding all over him. Minhyuk gently reached out to examine the wounded ear. The cut was straight and long, extending all the way across the bottom of the ear, with only a small piece holding it all together on one side. Another inch or so and the bottom of the rabbit’s ear would have been taken clean off. 

Heechul came closer now too, alarmed at the rabbit’s injury. The bunny gasped and began to cry again as he pulled away from Minhyuk, trying to back up farther into the bushes.

“Go away go away go away…” he said as Heechul approached.

“It’s alright, he’s my owner,” Minhyuk was saying, “He’s a good person. He’s…he’s the best owner ever.”

Minhyuk moved right up next to him and nuzzled against him, not minding about the blood as he tried to comfort the scared hybrid.

The bunny was covering his face with his hands, still whimpering, and that’s when Heechul noticed he had more injuries than just his ear. There were red, raw marks on his wrists and looked like something tied around one of them, although it was hard to see through all the blood. There were cuts on his hands too, little ones, and in the dim light Heechul could see several pieces of what looked like maybe glass shining. 

He was starting to put it all together now, his sharp mind working overtime. This rabbit had been tied up somewhere. And he had escaped. He had broken out of his bonds and broken through something to get away. And now he was hiding in the bushes, terrified of other humans. In an instant Heechul’s heart was broken. How could someone have done this to a little bunny hybrid? How could someone have mistreated him so badly? He knew there were owners who thought of their hybrids as just animals, owners who would tie them up like you would a regular pet, but he had never seen anything to this extent. Why did people even adopt hybrids if they weren’t able to take care of them properly?

“It’s okay,” Heechul said, his voice soft, “We won’t hurt you. We want to help you.”

“Yeah, we’ll get a doctor,” Minhyuk added, softly petting the other hybrid’s head affectionately, “We’ll fix your ear, don’t worry.”

The bunny let out a sob and he shook his head. 

“Can’t fix it…” he said miserably, “It’s…”

He was crying too much to finish his sentence and Heechul could feel what was remaining of his heart crumbling to pieces even further. He wanted to pull the little bunny into his arms, tell him everything would be okay, but he knew he had to move slowly, to treat the situation delicately so as not to scare the poor thing any more than he already was. But it was hard when those big brown eyes were full of tears, when that cute little face was contorted in anguish. 

The bunny began to cough suddenly and then he slumped over, leaning against Minhyuk for support. That’s when Heechul saw the bloodstains on the hybrid’s pants, and staining the ground beneath him. How long had he been out here, Heechul wondered dreadfully. And how much blood had he lost? 

“We can help you,” Heechul reassured him, “Where else are you hurt?”

The bunny was panting slightly now as he leaned against Minhyuk. He no longer had the strength to cry which was worrying to Heechul.

“It’s gone…” he breathed.

Heechul moved forward slowly, but the bunny didn’t back away this time. That was even more worrying. Heechul reached out and moved the bunny’s hip slightly. His pants were soaked in blood.

“What happened?” Minhyuk squeaked, growing more and more worried himself.

“My tail…” the bunny said weakly, “It’s gone. He…he took it.”

Heechul felt his stomach drop. The pieces were all coming together now, though he didn’t want them to. The marks on the bunny’s wrists, the cuts on his hands. The cut on his ear… It was deliberate. This wasn’t just a case of a bad owner. Someone had intentionally tried to mutilate this poor hybrid. 

Someone had cut off his tail and then tried to do the same with his ears.

Heechul couldn’t breathe. It was if all the air had been knocked out of him. For a moment the world seemed to swim before his eyes, as if none of it was real. He could feel his pulse pounding in his head. He couldn’t imagine it. He couldn’t imagine someone could ever be that sick. 

This isn’t real. This isn’t real…

“Heenim!”

It was Minhyuk’s voice that snapped him back to reality. The hybrid had his arms wrapped around the injured bunny who was leaning fully onto him now, breathing shallowly, his eyes half closed. In an instant Heechul composed himself. He was the owner here, he had to take control. 

“He’s lost too much blood,” Heechul said, “We need to get him to a hybrid doctor.”

He pulled the small shivering bunny away from Minhyuk and picked him up in his arms. He was so cold already. That wasn’t good. He held him close, trying to keep him warm somehow as he and Minhyuk hurried out of the park. All three of them were now covered in blood, but Heechul didn’t care. He didn’t care if the neighbours saw him, he didn’t care if they caused a commotion. All that mattered was getting this bunny some help. 

The rabbit was still conscious as they all but ran through the streets back to Heechul’s house, but his body was limp and his breathing ragged.

“Just hold on, little…” Heechul realized he didn’t even know the hybrid’s name and so he finished by calling him “Tokki-dongsaeng” (little brother rabbit). 

The bunny’s grip on him tightened as he said it, as if he had gained a bit of strength from the nickname. So Heechul kept talking as they made their way back. 

“You’ll be okay, Tokki-dongsaeng,” Heechul said, “We’ll fix you up and then I’ll give you all the fruit you want. I’ll buy you all the vegetables in the supermarket. I’ll buy you all the vegetables in Seoul. Just hold on a little bit longer…”

They were almost there. They were at the driveway now. Heechul had gotten Minhyuk to text the hybrid doctor along the way. He would hopefully be coming to meet them soon.

“You’ll like Heenim’s house,” Minhyuk said, “It’s really big. And when you’re better we can go out in the garden and play soccer…”

He was wiping away tears as he said it, trying hard to be cheerful and strong, but underneath it all Heechul realized he was just a scared little bunny too. 

He couldn’t imagine how the sight must have looked as they burst through the door into the house, the three of them looking like they’d come straight out of a horror movie. Heechul explained the situation as best he could and just like the leader he was, Leeteuk managed to corral the panicked hybrids and get them upstairs and out of the way. Heechul laid the injured bunny down on the couch as Minhyuk stood by anxiously and his friends hurried off to the bathroom to get something to help.

The rabbit’s eyes were closing, his face pale and ashen. Heechul quickly patted his face, trying to rouse him.

“Come on, Tokki-dongsaeng,” he said, “Stay with us.”

The bunny’s eyes opened slowly, but they were glassy and unfocused. Heechul stroked his cheek and pet his hair, careful of his wounded ear. He looked over at Minhyuk who was tightly holding the other rabbit’s hand as he cried quietly. Poor Minhyuk. He had thought he’d found another friend and now Heechul wasn’t even sure if this hybrid would make it through the night.

Eunhyuk returned with a handful of towels and Heechul wrapped one tightly around the bunny’s waist, trying to stop any bleeding coming from his missing tail. Minhyuk took another one and pressed it to the hybrid’s ear. Heechul then began to gently wipe the blood from the little one’s face. He had such a pretty face. Why would anyone want to see it in pain? It was something Heechul couldn’t understand and he never would. What made people just so…wrong. He loved to see his hybrids smile, loved to hear them laugh. What sick bastard wanted to do this?

He didn’t know how long it was until the hybrid doctor arrived. Time seemed to have no meaning then. He counted it in the breaths the bunny took, in the tears that fell from Minhyuk (and now Donghae’s) face. There was nothing he could do as they waited, except pet the hybrid softly and hope for a miracle.

Luckily the doctor had brought plasma with him. He hooked up the injured bunny to receive the mobile blood transfusion and soon the colour returned to the hybrid’s cheeks. His breathing evened out and now he looked at Heechul fully for the first time.

“Thank you…” he sighed.

Out of the woods now, he was finally able to rest. He closed his eyes, looking peaceful for the first time since they had found him. Relieved, Heechul exhaled deeply. It was then he realized he was crying too. His hands were shaking as he wiped away his tears. He gave the now sleeping bunny a little kiss on the forehead. Then he hugged Minhyuk tightly. Minhyuk hugged him back with one arm. The other one was still holding tightly onto the bunny’s hand, not willing to let go.

***

Everything had been a blur after that. The doctor had stitched up Minseok’s wounds and told them to keep him warm. Heechul had bundled the little bunny up and was about to put him into one of the spare beds when Minhyuk had suggested putting him into Heechul’s bed.

“He should get used to your scent,” Minhyuk had said.

So Heechul had tucked him (and Minhyuk, who had refused to leave the other hybrid’s side) into his bed while Heechul had slept in the chair next to it. He wanted the hybrid to get used to him slowly and not overwhelm him, so he had decided to keep his distance for the time being.

But later Minseok had woken up in the night, terrified in the dark room. He had panicked and tried to run away, only succeeding in collapsing on the floor in his weakened state. Heechul had had no choice but to pick him up in his arms and hold him. He began to gently pet the scared hybrid and then he didn’t know why, but he began to sing to him. This seemed to calm the bunny and soon he was asleep on Heechul’s shoulder. And that was how Heechul had ended up sleeping with two bunnies in his bed for the next three months.

Even after his physical wounds had healed Minseok still had a lot of scars inside. He was scared of the dark and he often had nightmares. At first he wouldn’t even leave Heechul’s room and even now he still hadn’t left their house except for the back garden outside. He had been wary of strangers, even other hybrids. 

Of course Soonyoung and Ilhoon had been excited to meet him the first time, but Minseok had cried and hid behind Minhyuk when the two noisy hamsters had jumped onto the bed, inundating him with questions. And Heechul hadn’t been able to put him down when Leeteuk had visited again. The little bunny had wrapped his arms and legs around Heechul tightly, clinging to him like a barnacle, his heart beating so fast in his chest Heechul was sure he was going to have a heart attack.

It was clear he didn’t trust humans at all. But for some reason he had trusted Heechul. Heechul had asked Minseok about it, months later, when the bunny had recovered more. 

“Whenever I was scared I heard your voice,” Minseok had said, “You always sang to me. And I knew Heechul appa would never hurt me.” He had looked at Heechul questioningly, a frown appearing on his adorable face. “What’s wrong?”  
“Nothing,” Heechul had said, his eyes shining.

He had been thinking about what would have happened if they hadn’t found Minseok that night. What if they had gone to a different store? What if Minhyuk hadn’t smelled him? What if they had walked right by and Minseok had just stayed in that park all night, bleeding…

“Heechul appa?”

“It’s nothing. I’m just really glad you’re here.”

“Me too!”

Minseok had kissed him sweetly on the lips and Heechul had tried his best to smile away his tears.

Maybe everything happens for a reason. Maybe this was what he was supposed to do, rescue hybrids. He didn’t want anyone to go through the pain Minseok had. But if it had to happen, then he was willing to help in the aftermath. 

He would still be the knight in shining armor after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Nightmare - Boyfriend
> 
> Edit: This is where the fic ‘Sleepover’ should go chronologically. It’s the missing scene between Minhyuk and Minseok while Heechul was away and it explains a little bit more of Minseok’s backstory.


	5. Keeping the Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heechul realizes he needs to become stricter with the hybrids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you need any proof that Jihoon is truly a sleepy cat and Soonyoung is a cute but annoying little hamster in real life then just watch the video "Good Morning 17" by D-17 Subs. :3
> 
> Also I had an entire backstory for Jihoon planned for his chapter, but then it got too long, so it maybe in the next one? I don't know, the story really has a life of its own sometimes.

“There. It doesn’t hurt now, does it?” Heechul asked as he placed the bandage on Minseok’s palm.

He was seated on one of the stools in the bathroom with Minseok on his lap. The little bunny had his legs wrapped around Heechul as he pressed himself close, still feeling rather clingy after not seeing his owner for the whole night. And especially since he had hurt himself. 

Across the room Soonyoung was sitting on the edge of the bathtub as Baekhyun fretted over him. The puppy hybrid had taken over from Heechul after Soonyoung had been all cleaned up and was now stroking the hamster’s hair and wiping away any stray tears. Heechul knew he’d made the right choice giving Baekhyun to Leeteuk. The two were a perfect pair. It was obvious from the way he comforted Soonyoung now that Baekhyun had been the leader of their group when they had lived with their other owner. Heechul was grateful since he now also had to deal with Minseok too.

“It’s okay now,” Minseok said flexing his bandaged hand, “Thank you.”

“You should have waited for me to come back,” Heechul admonished and Minseok looked away from him.

“I wanted to clean up,” the bunny said quietly, “So Heechul appa wouldn’t be mad…”

“Well, I am mad,” Heechul said simply. Minseok looked back at him quickly, his brown eyes already tearful and his lower lip trembling. “Why were you drinking?” Heechul asked him bluntly.

Minseok didn’t reply. Instead he pressed himself closer against Heechul, burying his face in his owner’s shoulder. Heechul could feel the tug at his heartstrings, but he wasn’t going to let it sway him. He knew it wouldn’t have been Minseok’s idea to drink and he wanted to find out exactly how the situation had unfolded. He pet the bunny’s ears, reassuringly.

“Minkki, it’s okay,” he said, “Just tell me what happened.”

“You were gone…” Minseok mumbled, his voice choked with tears, “And I was sad…”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Heechul whispered as he kissed the little bunny’s cheek, “But I know you didn’t take that wine yourself. Who gave it to you?” Minseok didn’t answer, instead trying to nuzzle against Heechul’s neck further. “Minkki…” Heechul gave a warning, his voice somewhat stern now.

“I…I don’t remember…” Minseok said.

Heechul took him by the collar of his shirt, gently but firmly, and pulled the bunny back so he could look him in the eyes. Minseok gave a little whimper, trying to look anywhere except Heechul’s gaze as his owner held him.

“Was it Minhyuk?” Heechul asked, “Because he was with you the whole night, wasn’t he?” Minseok’s face flushed red at the mention of his roommate’s name as he brought one of his ears to his mouth, chewing at it nervously. Though he couldn’t believe it, Heechul figured he must be on the right track if that was the hybrid’s reaction. “So it was Minhyuk,” Heechul said, watching Minseok’s face carefully, “Well maybe he’ll just have to sleep on his own from now on…”

“No, it wasn’t Minhyuk-ah!” Minseok said quickly, looking startled.

“Then who was it, Minkki?” Heechul asked.

He stroked the crying bunny’s cheek. Minseok was quiet for a moment, torn between ratting out one friend or having another take the blame instead.

“It was…it was Ilhoon,” Minseok finally said, then he added, scared, “Please don’t make him go away!”

Heechul couldn’t help but smile and he kissed the little hybrid’s nose. Minseok was so sweet. He didn’t care about his own punishment now, only about his brother’s. Tears were falling down the bunny’s cute chubby cheeks as he looked at Heechul, worried.

“Don’t worry, I won’t send him away,” Heechul reassured him, “But I do need to punish him. Stealing alcohol is not allowed.”

“And what about Jihoon?” Baekhyun piped up, “Scratching someone’s face off shouldn’t be allowed either.”

He was hugging Soonyoung to him tightly, like the over-protective hyung that he was.

“He’ll be punished too,” Heechul told him.

He just wasn’t exactly sure how yet. He’d never had to deal with anything serious like this before and he needed some time to think.

“Should never have gotten a cat…” Baekhyun muttered.

“I like Jihoon,” Soonyoung said sadly.

“After what he did to you?” Baekhyun asked, disbelieving, “How can you still like a…a freak like that?”

“He’s not a freak, he’s my friend!” Soonyoung exclaimed.

“He’s a psycho!”

“Stop it, both of you!” Heechul said sharply. Minseok winced and the other two hybrids fell silent. They weren’t used to Heechul speaking like that. “Jihoon will be punished,” Heechul went on, “So I don’t need you two arguing about it right now. Why don’t you go downstairs and help Leeteuk with lunch?”

“Sorry…” Baekhyun mumbled.

He took Soonyoung by the hand and went downstairs with him, leaving Heechul alone with Minseok. The bunny was chewing at his lip as he held onto the bottom of his wounded ear, obviously upset at Heechul’s mood.

“What will you do to Ilhoon?” he asked quietly.

He looked so small and cute then, like the adorable little baozi that Zhoumi had nicknamed him. In an instant Heechul’s anger faded. Of course he wasn’t really mad at Minkki for drinking, but he had just wanted to make sure they all knew how serious it was. Hybrids had a much lower tolerance for alcohol than humans and if Minseok had drank the whole bottle to himself he could have gotten really sick.

“I don’t know what I’ll do,” Heechul said as he hugged the bunny to him, rubbing Minseok’s back gently, “Maybe he’ll have to do everyone’s laundry for the next few weeks…”

He didn’t know if he could actually trust the hamster to do that, judging from the kitchen incident, but it was a start. He’d think of something for him to do. And in the meantime Heechul would have to start hiding his alcohol. He should have done it long ago. There’d been more than a few times when he could have sworn he’d had an extra beer in the fridge only to find one less than he thought or to come across a half empty soju bottle when he had been sure he hadn’t opened one yet. He’d just chalked it up to forgetfulness, but now he figured it had probably been the sneaky little hamster all along.

“I’m sorry for drinking,” Minseok murmured.

“It’s okay,” Heechul said, “I know you’re a good bunny, Minkki.”

Minseok made a little noise as he shifted uncomfortably. Heechul felt the little bunny’s body tense up as he pulled away from his owner’s hug suddenly. 

“I-I should go back to my room,” Minseok stuttered, his cheeks starting to turn crimson.

He was squirming on Heechul’s lap, trying to get out his owner’s grasp as Heechul tried to hold on to him and calm him.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Heechul asked.

The bunny had been fine just a moment ago, but now suddenly he seemed distressed and Heechul was worried. Had he heard or smelled something Heechul hadn’t? Why was he so intent on getting away now?

“It’s nothing, just let me go, please,” Minseok whined.

There was a desperation in his voice that Heechul had definitely heard before, but usually it was the rabbit telling him not to let him go. Minseok was always wanting to be held or picked up or cuddled by Heechul, but now all of a sudden he wanted to escape from his owner. Heechul was confused. He wanted to try and comfort Minseok so he continued to hold onto him. 

“It’s okay-“ Heechul started to say and then he felt it.

Something hard pressed against his thigh as the hybrid moved on top of him, trying to wriggle away. Heechul looked down. Minseok was still wearing only underwear so it was now very apparent why he wanted to get off his owner’s lap and away from him. Heechul was so surprised he let the bunny go and Minseok quickly darted out into the hall and then disappeared into his room, forcefully shutting the door behind him. 

Heechul just sat there, stunned. It was the first time in the year since he’d found Minseok that anything remotely sexual had happened with the bunny. Minkki had always been so cute and innocent, so, well, bunny-like, that Heechul had begun to think he would stay that way forever. Apparently not. 

Heechul wondered if maybe the hybrid was in heat. He knew that heats had been mostly bred out of the cats and dogs, but rodents were still a mystery to most researchers. There were so few of them around that they hadn’t quite been as “domesticated” yet. He knew Minhyuk and Soonyoung didn’t have them at all, but Ilhoon experienced it several times a year and according to Leeteuk, Baekyun still went through his about once a year. Heechul had figured Minseok probably wouldn’t experience it, but maybe he was wrong.

He wanted to reassure the bunny that everything was fine, but he knew he had to tread carefully. He remembered the first time with Ilhoon, the hamster hadn’t wanted to be around Heechul at all and had nearly had a breakdown when Heechul had tried to bring him something to eat. Since then, he had always sent Minhyuk to deal with him during those few days or invited Baekhyun over. The puppy hybrid had apparently “taken care of” Ilhoon when they had lived with their previous owner and was all too happy to help out again. 

As long as Ilhoon was fine with it, Heechul didn’t mind what they did.

“Yeah, Baekhyun is really horny,” Leeteuk had said, “All the time. I told him I wasn’t interested in that, but he still tries with me now and then. I had to change the lock on the bathroom door because he learned how to pick the other one and would always come in while I was showering.”

“So he’s like one of those dogs always humping their owner’s leg?” Heechul had asked, giggling.

“Pretty much…” Leeteuk had sighed.

Well at least Baekhyun’s horniness came in handy.

Heechul opened the door to Minseok’s room. The rabbit was lying on his stomach on the clean, made bed, technically Minhyuk’s bed, instead of the one piled with Heechul’s dirty clothes. He looked miserable.

“Go away,” he pouted as Heechul approached him.

“Minkki, it’s okay,” Heechul said.

“I didn’t mean to…I…I didn’t want…” Minseok was mumbling, trying to find the right words.

“It’s alright,” Heechul said, smiling slightly at how flustered the little bunny was, “You don’t have to explain anything.”

“But…I just…I don’t…I don’t want to do those things with Heechul appa,” Minseok said quietly, pressing his flushed face into his pillow.

“Those things”? So maybe Minseok did know at least something about sex. He had probably picked up at least a few things from the adoption centre before his traumatic incident. Or maybe it had been someone in the house. Minhyuk was a couple years older after all…

“Don’t worry,” Heechul said, “You don’t have to anything you don’t want to. You know I would never make you do something, right?”

“I know,” Minseok replied, “It’s just…embarrassing… That stuff’s only for…”

He trailed off as he pressed his face into the pillow and sighed deeply. Heechul could see him squirming uncomfortably on the bed, his hips moving from side to side, and figured now was probably not the best time to be having a talk with the hybrid when he was still apparently wound up.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed,” Heechul assured him, “But it’s okay if you feel that way. Do you want me to leave you alone for now?”

“Mm,” Minseok said.

The noise was meant to be an affirmation, but it came out more of a whimper. He seemed to have given up on trying to fight his urges and was now slowly rubbing himself against the mattress as he hid his face in shame. 

“Okay, we can talk later,” Heechul said and he left the bunny to himself.

He would have to dig out that “Hybrid Sexuality” book he had gotten back when he first adopted Minhyuk and read through it. Then maybe he could have a proper talk with the rabbit. And maybe he would get Minhyuk to help him. The eldest hybrid had looked after Ilhoon during his heats and probably had more insight into it than Heechul did, even if the rabbit didn’t experience them himself. 

Heechul still couldn’t figure out though what had brought about the sudden change though. He had sat with Minseok on his lap hundreds of times before. The rabbit had always wrapped his legs around Heechul and pressed himself close without incident. What had they been doing? What had they been talking about? 

Then he remembered the last thing he had said before Minseok had gotten flustered. He had called him a good bunny. Heechul chuckled to himself. So that was it? It was so cute and so…naughty at the same time. Minseok had been turned on by Heechul calling him a good bunny. It was just so human-like, he couldn’t help but find it amusing. His smile faded though as he glanced over at the closed bedroom door beside him.

He still had to deal with Jihoon.

And he still had no idea what he was going to do. All that time dealing with Soonyoung and Minseok hadn’t left him much of a chance to think of a punishment for the cat hybrid. He had to do something though. And not just give him extra chores. Jihoon’s “crime” was a bit more serious than sneaking alcohol or chewing up headphones. But what could he do? He would never dream of hitting one of his hybrids. 

If Jihoon was a real cat he could have gotten him with a few squirts from a spray bottle. He had friends with real animals who did that when the cat clawed up their couch or tried to eat something it wasn’t supposed to. But somehow he doubted that would work on a hybrid. 

He looked over at the open bathroom door and then the inspiration hit him. It would have been a terrible thing to do under normal circumstances, but he had no choice. He had to make Jihoon understand how serious things were. 

Heechul prepared everything first before calling the cat hybrid into the hall. Jihoon appeared moments later, looking sullen. Heechul could see he felt guilty at least. The cat’s ears were flat against his head and his tail was drooping. He came into the bathroom like Heechul asked without a word, waiting to be spoken to first. He stared at the floor as Heechul stood in front of him and Heechul was reminded of just how small the hybrid really was. When he’d first seen him Heechul had thought he was still a baby from his size. But after six months with no change Heechul soon realized this was as big as Jihoon was ever going to be. Still, it didn’t matter what his size was. Not when he had those claws.

“What you did to Soonyoung was reprehensible,” Heechul started, then, figuring the hybrid might not understand, he added, “It was very bad. You really hurt him. You almost cut his neck! He could have had a serious injury. You know you should never ever use your claws against one of the others. They’re only rodents, they don’t have the same defense.”

Jihoon nodded silently, his lips pursed as he continued to stare down at the floor.

“I don’t want to punish you guys,” Heechul went on, “But you know I have to. You need to be punished for something serious like this.”  
Jihoon nodded again, his face resolute.

“You gave me no choice, I have to do this,” Heechul said.

Then he picked up the basin of water and emptied it over Jihoon’s head. In an instant the hybrid was soaked. Heechul had been fully prepared for the cat to get angry and possibly lash out at the sudden cold liquid being dumped onto him, but Jihoon did neither. He simply stood where he was, shaking and shivering, his tail now hanging limply between his legs. His small hands were balled into fists as he bit down hard on his lip.

Heechul was sure any moment now the cat was going to explode at him. Heechul wouldn’t have held it against him if he did. It would have been natural for a feline. But then he noticed that Jihoon wasn’t trying to hold back his anger. He was trying not to cry. 

“I’m…sorry…” Jihoon choked out, his words ending in a tiny sob.

Then he turned around and ran back to his room. Heechul quickly followed after him. It was not the reaction he had been expecting and he was somewhat taken aback. When he entered the room, he found the floor miraculously cleaner than it had been before. The hybrid’s desk was empty as well when usually it was scattered full of papers. Jihoon was at his bed, grabbing for a backpack sitting atop it.

“What are you doing?” Heechul asked. 

“I’m sorry,” Jihoon was rambling as he tried to shove something else into the backpack, “I’m so sorry…I know I cost you so much…I-I’ll try to repay you one day…”

“What are you talking about? Stop, just stop.”

Heechul took Jihoon by the shoulders and turned the hybrid around to face him. The tiny cat only came up to his chest so Heechul knelt down to be at eye level with him. Jihoon’s face was wet and Heechul could see it wasn’t just from being doused by him, but from tears.

“I know I have to go…” Jihoon said sadly.

Heechul had never seen him upset. In all the time he’d been with them Jihoon had always been pretty stoic. Of course he had seen him happy at times. Jihoon’s smile was one of the cutest things he’d ever seen and it was such a treat to see the cat really laughing and enjoying himself. It was one of the reasons Heechul worked so hard to include him in their little family. But right now the hybrid looked like a lost little kid.

“You don’t have to go anywhere,” Heechul told him, “Did you really think I was just going to kick you out, just like that? Jihoon, I love you. Just the same as the others.”

“Even though I don’t hug and kiss you?” Jihoon asked.

“That doesn’t matter,” Heechul said, smiling, “I’m not that narcissistic.”

Well, some might argue on that one, but…  
“I hear the others talking,” Jihoon went on, “They say I’m a jerk. Because I don’t like when they try to hug me. And I don’t want to cuddle with them.”

“Is that why you scratched Soonyoung?”

The tears Jihoon had been trying to hold back came out now as he let out a shaky sob. 

“He touched my stomach!” he said, upset, “Everyone knows you don’t do that to cats! I don’t like it, but he doesn’t listen. They all…they all just gang up on me.”

“What do you mean?”

“They play with my ears or pull my tail,” Jihoon said bitterly, “They’re always trying to tickle my neck or poke my sides. They grab me and pin me down and tell me I’m so cute, I’m like a little baby. I’m not a baby, I’m three years old! They know I hate it, but they don’t care! And I just have to let them do it because they’re rodents and I’m the cat. I don’t like being touched so much!”

He was crying angrily now, his damp tail swishing back and forth behind him. Heechul had had no idea. When he had first brought Jihoon into their home he had been slightly worried about the cat hybrid being a danger to the others. He had never thought that all the rodents would be a danger to him. But then Jihoon was so much smaller than them after all. 

“I’m so sorry,” Heechul told him, “I didn’t know. But, you should have told me. I could have helped you.”

“I didn’t want to bother you,” Jihoon sniffled, “It’s my own problem.”

Heechul wanted to hug him, but restrained himself. If it had been any of the others he would have, but he knew that wasn’t the way with Jihoon. The cat had always been cool and Heechul knew he had to move slowly to get him to warm up. 

“You can tell me anything,” Heechul said sincerely, “It’s not a bother. Like I said, I love you, Jihoon. Just the way you are.”

The cat finally looked him in the eyes and Heechul was shocked by how beautiful they were. They weren’t big like Minseok’s, but they were pretty in their own way and it was the first time Heechul was gazing into them like this. 

“I…” Jihoon started, then he blushed and looked away.

Heechul patted his face affectionately, keeping his touch brief. “You don’t have to say,” he said, “I know you do.”

“It’s just hard being the only cat…” Jihoon said quietly.

Heechul sighed. It was a hell of a day, wasn’t it? He was gone for one night and everything had fallen apart. They’d all done something they shouldn’t have, some worse than others, but all of them were guilty. Maybe he had just been too soft with them. They’d all had hard lives before, it was true, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be disciplined. His house may have been quickly turning into a zoo, but he was still the zookeeper and he had to maintain the order.

“Come here,” Heechul said.

He grabbed a towel for the dripping cat and wrapped it around him, then he lead him by the hand out into the hall and downstairs. Leeteuk was in the kitchen finishing up with the food while the others were sitting at the table or on the couch watching TV.

“All of you, come here,” Heechul said as he pulled Jihoon over to the wall.

The other hybrids looked confused, but nonetheless they joined him standing there. Heechul stopped Baekhyun though as he came over. The puppy hybrid sat down on the couch instead, looking sad that he was being “left out” of whatever was happening. 

“What is it?” Leeteuk asked, coming into the living room as well.

“Line up,” Heechul told them, “And put your arms up.” The hybrids looked at each other as they hesitantly did what they were told. “All of you have been bad while I was away,” Heechul continued.

Minhyuk and Ilhoon looked down guiltily, knowing they had been caught. Their faces matched Jihoon’s. But Soonyoung protested.

“I didn’t do anything!” he said and Heechul cut him off.

“Touching someone when they don’t want to be touched is bad,” Heechul told him and Soonyoung went quiet, his lower lip sticking out as he pouted, “Scratching someone is bad. Stealing alcohol is bad. Drinking stolen alcohol is bad too. The way I see it, you’ve all been bad and it’s time I start punishing you harder for it.”

“Why isn’t Minkki here?” Ilhoon muttered.

Heechul stood in front of him. He felt slightly like a drill sergeant now, dealing with naughty cadets. 

“Because Minkki is the only one of you that didn’t do anything wrong,” Heechul said. He then turned to Minhyuk, “You were supposed to be looking after him while I was gone. Instead you let him get drunk.”

“That’s not all he did to him…” Ilhoon muttered with a mischievous grin as Minhyuk’s face turned bright red.

Heechul turned back to the snarky little hamster. “Alright, no more internet for you. For one week.”

“What? That’s not fair!” Ilhoon protested.

He started to lower his arms, but Heechul was firm. “Put them back up,” Heechul said sternly, “Keep them up there.” Ilhoon did as he was told, fuming silently. “You all think because I’m so nice you can just do whatever you want,” Heechul went on, “Well, I’m still the owner here and you need to listen to me.”

Ilhoon looked as if he wanted to say something else, but he stayed quiet, his raised arms fully straight above him in almost sarcastic compliance. Soonyoung’s arms were quivering as he tried not to cry. Jihoon was still and quiet, not moving as he dripped water onto the floor. Minhyuk’s face was still red from Ilhoon’s comment and he was chewing at his lip, obviously desperate for something to gnaw on but not moving an inch.

“Don’t you think you’re being a little too harsh?” Leeteuk asked as he stroked Baekhyun’s hair, keeping the puppy calmed down.

Heechul glared at him.

“No, I’m not,” he said, “This is my house, not a zoo. And they need to respect that.” He turned back to the others. “Stay like that for five more minutes. Then you can have lunch. And I’ll be speaking to each of you later.”

Ilhoon let out an angry puff of air as Soonyoung made a whining noise. Jihoon and Minhyuk were both quiet. Leeteuk looked in awe of Heechul, although slightly scared as well.

“Well, I guess this is the entertainment for now,” he quipped as he watched over the naughty hybrids standing against the wall. 

“You would never be so mean to me, right?” Baekhyun asked him and Leeteuk laughed.

“Maybe you should join them,” he suggested, “I think you could use some punishment too, the way you act sometimes.”

Baekhyun shook his head quickly and snuggled into his owner, his tail thudding against Leeteuk’s leg in a desperate bid for affection. 

Heechul just ignored the two of them, as well as the mutterings he could hear coming from over by the wall, as he went into the kitchen and began to set the table. He was not looking forward to talking with three sulking hybrids that night about proper behaviour. But that wasn’t the most pressing issue on his mind. He was thinking about what Jihoon had said, about being the only cat in the house. It wasn’t fair, really. There were two bunnies and two hamsters, but only one cat. Jihoon didn’t really have another hybrid he could rely on. Maybe he just needed someone who really understood him.

Heechul mentally slapped himself. He wasn’t really thinking of getting another hybrid, was he? After everything that had happened with the FIVE that he already had?

No, it was a terrible idea. He shouldn’t get another hybrid.

…should he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: No F.U.N. - Seventeen


	6. Full Circle Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hybrids are left alone for the day when Heechul goes to the adoption center. Jihoon reminisces while Minhyuk and Minseok spend some time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for an angsty Jihoon backstory with a Minhyuk/Minseok intermission! Jihoon's story is pretty sad, so warning if you're feeling down already. I actually had to stop working on it one day because I was feeling slightly depressed. But just remember it's in the past, so he's already at his happy ending with his forever family! :) And yeah, I had to break it into two parts because there was just so much of it. Jihoon is actually my ult, so of course I needed to give him a proper backstory. But I added some bunnies in there to break up the angst. :3

He can remember his first memory exactly. Being wrapped up in that blanket. It was thin and it smelled like medicine, but it was wrapped around him so tightly and he could feel his mother’s heart beating against him. Her heart, beating faster and faster as she ran with him in her arms. 

He knows he should remember something before that. He would have been old enough. But he can’t. Before then everything is just a fog of sounds and smells. Machines beeping, people talking, sometimes someone screaming or crying. The smell of chemicals and sweat and fear. It was like a hazy dream. Or a nightmare. He can’t tell. None of it seems really real. It’s as if he wasn’t truly alive until the moment he breathed in that cold, fresh outside air.

He remembers hearing voices shouting. And for the first time he could understand what they were saying. It was no longer a low murmur, a dreamlike hum. It was “Stop! Come back!” and “Get her!” 

He remembers seeing her face clearly for the first time. He had never seen this pretty cat hybrid before, but somehow he knew it was his mother. He knew in the way she smelled, in the way she looked at him. He was being held by his mom. And she would never let him go again.

He remembers the train ride. There were no windows so he couldn’t watch anything pass by outside. They couldn’t sit with the people. They had to squeeze in next to boxes and crates. It was bumpy and cold, but his mother rocked him and sang softly into his little ear and somehow it was the best moment of his life.

He remembers the tiny room they slept in after arriving in Seoul. He was so sick and he couldn’t go out, so that room was all he saw for those brief few days together. It was a cramped little space and it smelled like barbecue all the time and sometimes smoke would even waft in through the cracks of the floor, but it felt like home to him. 

He remembers watching his mother pin down her ears and put a kerchief over her head before going out, her tail already tied to her leg and tucked away under her skirt. He didn’t know why she was always hiding her pretty ears. He liked to play with them when he sat with her, running his small hands through the soft fur and laughing when they twitched and she tried to lean away from him. She would go out for the day and then she would bring him back something delicious to eat. He was so small (he knew because she always said it, fretting over him) and he was still so sick, but he had a good appetite and loved to eat.

And then one day she didn’t come back.

He waited and waited, but she never came. The night passed and turned to day, but she still wasn’t there. And then another night and still nothing. He was so hungry then, but he was too weak to go out. He could smell the barbecue from the restaurant nearby, but he couldn’t get to it. It was driving him crazy. He was so hungry and so sick and he wanted his mother to come back and he didn’t know if he was going to be alive much longer and he just kept mewling and crying and crying and-

“Omo! What are you doing here all alone? Aigoo, come here. Don’t cry, don’t cry…”

It was a woman’s voice. He thought it was his mother at first. He thought she had finally come back for him. But the arms that picked him up smelled different. And the face that looked into his was definitely different. It was another female cat hybrid.

“Eo-eomma…” Jihoon had croaked.

“I don’t know where she is,” the cat hybrid had replied, “But it’s okay. Don’t cry, little kitten. Noona will take care of you.”

Jihoon shook away the memories as he treaded stealthily through the market. That had been almost two years ago, but it was still fresh in his mind as if it were yesterday. He’d grown a little since then (not as much as he would have liked) and he’d gotten a hell of a lot smarter and quicker. But his mother was never far from his thoughts. She was the reason he was a stray now. She was the reason he was ownerless and essentially homeless, living off whatever scraps he could find. 

And she was the reason he was alive.

If she hadn’t broken the two of them out of that research facility in Busan he never would have woken up from his stupor. He would have spent the rest of his (probably short) life in that foggy nightmare world, never knowing what it was like on the outside.

So it didn’t matter that he had to steal to survive. At least he had his freedom. He would take that trade-off gratefully.

He licked his lips unconsciously as the smells from the street foods wafted towards him. Markets were usually an overwhelming experience for a hybrid, with so many sights and smells and movements. But Jihoon was experienced. He’d learned long ago to block out distractions and focus on his goal. There were chicken skewers nearby. He picked up their tantalizing scent above all the others. That was what he wanted. He and noona were going to eat well tonight.

Jihoon easily slipped through the crowd of people. That was one of the advantages of being so small. It was easy to go unnoticed. Most people didn’t even pay attention to his ears or tail and just assumed he was a human child from his height. He had his plan of attack already. He had mapped out his exit too. He sidled up to the market stall, trying to blend in with the other people milling about. Then he reached up and grabbed several skewers in one swift movement. 

He pulled the stolen chicken close to his body and quickly tried to shuffle away. But some dumb old grandpa had seen him and started shouting. Jihoon broke out into a run, pushing through the throng of people as he made his getaway. Most bystanders were too stunned to do anything. He could move fast; it was an essential skill when it came to living on the street. 

He almost made it. As he rushed towards the end of the market he figured he had gotten away scot-free. He was already celebrating his victory inside. And then something knocked into his feet and tripped him.

Jihoon fell to the ground and the chicken skewers skidded across the pavement. He groaned, his tail flicking, annoyed, behind him. He lifted his head, but before he could pick himself up, something came down hard on his back, flattening him. Jihoon grunted and quickly rolled out of the way as the object came back again, hitting him over and over. It was an old grandma this time, hitting him with her handbag. 

“You dirty little cat!” she was spitting, “I’ve seen you before! How much have you stolen now?!”

Jihoon fended off her handbag attack easily as he got up off the ground. Down the other end of the market lane he could see some men gathering. The grandpa pointed at him and the men began to advance. Jihoon grabbed the old lady’s handbag that was coming in for another blow and pulled it roughly. He may have been small, but he was strong, and the force of the pull put the grandma off balance. She stumbled into the street with a cry. He heard the people around him gasp. He knew it was a terrible thing to do. But he had no choice. Now, with the fallen elderly woman as a distraction he could make his get-away. He scooped up the nearest two skewers and ran down one of the less crowded alleyways, away from the angry mob. 

He ran until he had made it safely out of the market, and then he ran some more. He ran until his lungs were bursting and he could taste copper at the back of his throat. Finally, he stopped at the park near his, well, he couldn’t really call it a “home”, but it would have to do. He looked down at the skewers sadly as he panted, trying to catch his breath. One skewer was bent and some of the meat had fallen off and they were both dotted with dirt and gravel. Jihoon began to pick the dirt off slowly. He would give the nicest looking one to noona. It was a mess, but it was still something.

When he was satisfied with the job Jihoon finally returned to the abandoned building they were staying in. A familiar face greeted him as he climbed in through the window.

“Where have you been?” Ailee asked, “I have dinner for us.”

“I was getting dinner too,” Jihoon replied.

He held up the skewers proudly and Ailee just shook her head. She gestured to a dirty spot on his t-shirt.

“And how many people saw you, this time?” she asked, “I told you, Jihoonie, you can’t keep stealing like an amateur beggar. You have to be smarter. You don’t even do anything about your ears!”

She reached up to wipe his dirty face and Jihoon squirmed away, annoyed at her nagging. He was perfectly capable of feeding them both. He just wasn’t so lucky this time. 

“I don’t like hiding my ears,” he said, “We shouldn’t have to. There are tons of hybrids walking around with them. Why do we have to hide?”

“Because an unattended human draws far less attention than a cat,” Ailee responded, “I bet they clocked you the moment you entered the market…”

“Well if you’re so good, what did you get?” Jihoon asked, “Another shoplifted cup of ramen?”

Ailee rolled her eyes as she went over to her things. Then she pulled out a large packet of foil. Inside were dozens of big slabs of tuna. Jihoon’s eyes widened as his mouth began to water. Suddenly his few bites of chicken didn’t seem so important. Not with this feast in front of him. 

“You can have some…” she said sweetly, “…if you admit that I’m better than you.”

Jihoon frowned, biting off a piece of the cold chicken and chewing it sulkily. 

“You can have it,” he muttered and Ailee just laughed.

“Oh come on,” she said, “You know I’m just joking. Here, I’ll trade you some for one of your skewers.”

It was an uneven trade, Jihoon knew it, but he had too much pride to admit that Ailee was right. He handed her the better skewer as they sat down on the floor to eat. The tuna looked amazing. And just the smell of it seemed to make him forget all about his embarrassing situation at the market.

“Thanks,” Jihoon said quietly as Ailee handed him a piece, “Really.”

Suddenly he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Ailee seemed to feel the sudden shift in the air as well, as her back hunched and her tail went stiff behind her. Jihoon sniffed the air.

“Catchers,” she whispered.

They’d learned a long time ago to recognize the scent of the “Hybrid Control Team”, a special division of the police that was employed to collect unregistered hybrids and relocate “where appropriate”. They claimed they would bring the hybrids to adoption centers to get them properly taken care of, but Jihoon knew better. Adoption centers were already underfunded and overflowing. If the Catchers found him and Ailee the pair of them would no doubt end up in a research facility again. Or worse.

Thankfully the scent was faint, meaning they were probably far away. For now. If it got any stronger though, they would have to leave their little hidey-hole. Jihoon felt guilty. They were probably at the market right now. Maybe he should have listened to what Ailee said and covered up his ears…

“We should move on soon,” Jihoon said, “They’ve been coming around far too often.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Ailee replied, “They’re everywhere in the city. Can’t escape them for too long. Let’s just stay a bit longer. I like this neighbourhood. It has the best sushi places.”

Jihoon nodded as he popped another piece of tuna into his mouth. He would listen to his noona. As much as he liked to think of himself as the leader of the pair, really it was Ailee. She was the one who had rescued him after his mother had disappeared after all. She had taught him everything he knew. She had pretty much raised him. So he trusted her.

How was he to know that he should have listened to his instincts then?

***

“Are you excited?” Minhyuk asked Jihoon.

The cat hybrid was sprawled across the couch in the living room, reading a book, seeming not the least bit interested in what was going on that day. 

“I guess…” Jihoon mumbled.

“I wonder what he’ll be like,” Minhyuk mused, feeling more like he was talking to himself as Jihoon didn’t look up from his book, “I wish I could have gone…”

Today was the day. Heechul was bringing home another hybrid. Their owner had been considering it for a week since the incident between Jihoon and Soonyoung before telling them his plans. Apparently Jihoon was feeling left out being the only cat in a house full of rodents and Heechul had wanted to even the odds a bit. Of course he had consulted with the others first. Minhyuk had been sure that Soonyoung would have protested given what happened to him, but the cheery little hamster had seemed excited at the prospect of another cat despite his recent injuries. Minhyuk had to admire his determination. Both Ilhoon and Minhyuk had said they didn’t mind and Jihoon was up for it. Minseok was the only one who had been slightly apprehensive. 

Minhyuk had tried to reassure him, reminding him how he got along fine when Jihoon came into the house, but the other bunny hadn’t been convinced.

“Jihoon came here slowly,” he had said, “I got used to him first before he came to live with us all the time. But this new cat will be here right away. What if he’s mean?”

“Heechul wouldn’t get a mean cat,” Minhyuk had replied, but Minseok had still been worried.

He had wrapped his arms around Minhyuk as they laid in bed, nuzzling against the elder’s neck.

“Will Minhyuk hyung protect me, if the new cat is a mean cat?” Minseok had asked, making Minhyuk laugh softly.

Since when had he become a “protector”? He was just a little bunny hybrid too, not much bigger than Minseok, but he guessed being older and more experienced built him up in Minseok’s eyes.

“Yes, I’ll protect you, Minkki,” he had whispered, earning him a kiss from the younger rabbit.

Since then Minseok had been especially clingy with him, following him around the house and wanting to cuddle all the time. Minseok hadn’t gone into heat like Heechul had thought he would. Instead he had stayed the same cute little Minkki he always was, wanting hugs and kisses from his hyungs and snuggling up to Heechul in the mornings like nothing had ever happened. Minhyuk was relieved. It was bad enough having to deal with Ilhoon, he didn’t want to go through it with Minseok too. Things were simpler this way. They just had to make sure they didn’t call him a “good bunny”, that was all.

And they would just forget all about that one drunken night together. 

Yes, he could forget about that part. But it was the next day that had stayed in his mind. Minhyuk was starting to realize some things about himself. Like how he had liked it when Heechul had punished them. He felt so conflicted about it. He knew he should have been upset, he should have felt bad about Heechul being angry with them. The others definitely hadn’t enjoyed standing there with their arms up, avoiding looking at their owner’s angry face at lunch afterwards. But all Minhyuk could think about was how he wanted more. How he wanted it to be just him and Heechul, alone, in Heechul’s room. And Heechul would tell him what a bad bunny he’d been and that he had to be punished. And maybe afterwards…

Ugh, why was he thinking like that? 

“Minhyuk hyung?”

Minhyuk looked up suddenly, startled from his thoughts by the sound of Minseok’s voice. The younger bunny was standing at the bottom of the stairs, holding a couple of towels.

“I wanted to look nice for the new cat,” Minseok said, “Can you help me have a bath?”

“Sure,” Minhyuk replied, “Let me see what Ilhoon and Soonyoung are doing.”

They had bathed all together many times before. Heechul had a large traditional style bathroom that the hybrids enjoyed turning into their own mini spa. They would often help scrub each other’s backs or give massages. Hybrids weren’t allowed in real spas after all.

Minseok held onto his ear shyly as he looked down at the floor.

“Can it be just me and you?” he asked quietly.

Minhyuk didn’t object. He figured it would probably be more relaxing without the hamsters anyway. So the two of them left Jihoon alone and headed upstairs. 

Minhyuk began to fill up the big bathtub as Minseok pulled out the soap and shampoo and conditioner. There was never any shortage of beauty products in their house. Heechul always had such nice hair, it was more beautiful than any girl’s in Minhyuk’s mind. And he always smelled so nice too. Most humans liked when other humans smelled like perfumes or soap. But Minhyuk liked when Heechul smelled just like himself. Or maybe slightly sweaty. And that was something he was never going to admit.

Among many other things.

Minhyuk ran his hand through the water in the tub lazily. It was a nice temperature now. He shook the water from his hand and then took off his t-shirt, careful not to pull at his ears. It was slightly trickier for him than Minseok since his ears stuck up rather than down like the little lop’s. Then came his pants and underwear. Minhyuk absently ran his hand over his tail, fluffing it up slightly. Truthfully he was somewhat jealous of the dog and cat hybrids whose long tails could wag freely and unconfined. Well at least he had a tail, unlike the hamsters. And Minseok…

Minhyuk looked back at the younger bunny. Minseok had taken off his shirt and was now unbuttoning his pants. Minhyuk instinctively handed him a towel. He knew the other hybrid was still self-conscious about his missing tail and didn’t like to stand around exposed. But to his surprise, Minseok pushed his hand away. 

“It’s okay,” Minseok said, “I don’t need it.”

Minhyuk watched in disbelief as Minseok took off his pants and then underwear, standing in front of him completely naked for the first time. The little lop bunny clasped his hands in front of him shyly, his cheeks already turning pink.

“Minkki, are you sure…” Minhyuk started.

“It’s okay,” Minseok said again, “It’s okay…if it’s you.”

Minhyuk smiled. He was happy Minseok was making more steps towards recovery. And he was happy the bunny trusted him to be the one to do it with. 

“I’m so proud of you,” Minhyuk murmured and Minseok’s face turned even redder.

“Yeah,” Minseok said, shifting slightly, “But…it’s kind of embarrassing when you’re just staring at me…”

“Oh right, sorry,” Minhyuk mumbled as he looked away, “Well, do you want to go first then? Or should I? Whatever you’re more comfortable with…”

“Will you wash my ears for me?” Minseok asked quietly, “But don’t tickle me…”

Minhyuk laughed. Minseok knew him too well.

“Alright, I won’t touch that spot,” Minhyuk promised, “Come sit down.”

Minseok did as he was told and sat down on one of the stools as Minhyuk scooped up some water from the tub in a cup. Minhyuk tried not to stare at Minseok’s backside as the little bunny sat in front of him, fully naked for the first time. But he was too curious not to. There, at the base of Minseok’s spine, where there should have been a little tuft of fur was just a round purpleish scar. It wasn’t as gruesome as Minhyuk had been imagining, the hybrid doctor had obviously done a good job patching up his friend, but it still made Minhyuk sad to see it. 

Most humans wouldn’t have understood. “What’s the big deal, it’s just a useless little piece of fluff” Minhyuk could imagine them saying. But to a hybrid their species markers were more important to them than any other parts of their body. Taking that away wasn’t just like losing a finger or a toe. It was like losing a piece of your soul.

Heechul at least understood this. It was why he hadn’t taken away Jihoon’s claws after the cat hybrid had scratched Soonyoung. Minhyuk had seen posts online before, from people advising owners to declaw their cat hybrids for the safety of others. There were a few rebuttals, denouncing the whole thing as cruel, but not enough for people to stop doing it. Minhyuk had been horrified then. He had thought that was as bad as it could get. Alright, so maybe claws were dangerous, but no one would think of getting rid of their hybrid’s ears or teeth or tails, right? But finding Minseok had proved all that wrong.

Minhyuk knew he was supposed to be washing Minseok’s ears, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the others’ tail. 

“Does it hurt?” he asked.

“Does what hurt?” Minseok replied.

“There…where it’s…” Minhyuk mumbled, not quite knowing how to phrase it.

He placed his hand low on Minseok’s side, trying to indicate what he meant.

“Oh. No, not really,” Minseok replied, “It doesn’t feel like anything. The doctor said all the nerves are gone.”

Minhyuk rubbed Minseok’s side gently. Now he was even sadder. A bunny hybrid’s tail could be quite sensitive and it felt good when someone pet it. Of course Minhyuk had only ever done it to himself, feeling too awkward to ask Heechul. But it had remained his fantasy that one day Heechul would do it, stroking his tail while Minhyuk sat on his lap. And then Heechul’s hands could move around the front and…

Oh he really needed to stop this. Heenim didn’t see him that way and he never would.

Minhyuk poured some water onto Minseok’s head and began gently massaging the younger’s ears as he tried to think about something else other than Heechul petting him. These feelings had started out small at first and he had convinced himself that was just how hybrids felt about their owners (especially one as good as Heenim). But as the feelings continued to grow Minhyuk was starting to realize he was the only one in the house who thought these things. And it was clear Heechul didn’t have the same feelings about him, at least Minhyuk didn’t think so. Well, there was that one kiss last week that had taken his breath away. But that was probably just a fluke…

“What do you think the new cat will be like?” Minseok asked, giving Minhyuk a welcome interruption to his thoughts.

“I don’t know,” Minhyuk replied, “I hope he won’t be too much bigger than Jihoon. That might cause problems.”

“I don’t want a big cat,” Minseok agreed, “He should be little, just like Jihoon.” 

“I don’t know if that’s possible,” Minhyuk chuckled.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. Since Minhyuk hyung will protect me,” Minseok sighed contentedly.

Minhyuk scratched behind his ears affectionately in response. It was so cute how Minseok looked up to him. Minhyuk liked the adoration from the younger one. It felt good taking care of him. With more and more hybrids in the house Heechul’s attention had slowly but surely been divided up until it seemed like just a sliver was left for Minhyuk. At least with Minkki he had someone who would give him non-stop affection.

Minhyuk rinsed the conditioner from Minseok’s hair, careful not to get any suds in the little bunny’s eyes. Then he went to work on the rabbit’s shoulders, massaging them a bit first before scrubbing them with soap. He ran the washcloth down Minseok’s back, noticing the younger shiver slightly at his touch. Minseok was quiet now as Minhyuk rubbed his sides, the bunny’s breathing slow and steady. 

Usually Minhyuk would stop at Minkki’s lower back, the towel preventing him from going any further. But today he was unhindered. Cautiously, he moved his hand lower, monitoring Minseok’s reaction closely. He put down the washcloth in case it was too rough and instead gently ran his fingers over the place where Minseok’s tail should have been. Minseok inhaled deeply and Minhyuk pulled his hand back.

“Sorry,” Minhyuk mumbled.

“No, it’s okay,” Minseok said, “I like…” Minhyuk couldn’t hear the rest because Minseok had buried his face into his hands.

“What?”

“I like when you touch me,” Minseok said.

“Oh. Well as long as it doesn’t hurt…” Minhyuk replied.

He continued rubbing the other hybrid’s back, moving soap suds around as he massaged the little bunny. But there was something nagging at him now, an inkling in the back of his mind. He poured some water from the cup over Minseok’s back, his fingers tracing patterns over the other’s skin. Then he moved his hand down again, towards the base of Minseok’s spine. The other hybrid’s breathing began to get quicker and Minhyuk could sense the sudden change in the air. He ran his hand over the wounded spot and Minseok made a little noise.

“Minhyuk-ah…” the little bunny breathed, “I need to tell you something…”

He turned around so he could look at his hyung. Minhyuk was slightly confused. The way Minseok looked at him, and that faint smell in the air, it was almost like the other hybrid was in heat. But he wasn’t. At least not in the way that Minhyuk had experience with. But why had the atmosphere changed like this?

Minseok leaned forward and kissed Minhyuk. It was not his usual sweet bunny kiss. Instead his tongue slipped into Minhyuk’s mouth as he used what he had learned from the older hybrid not long ago. Minhyuk didn’t resist at first. It felt good, so he kissed him back. It wasn’t so bad, was it? Maybe this was just a slight evolution in their relationship. But then he thought of Heechul. And somehow he felt guilty. Even though his owner didn’t see him like that, Minhyuk still felt somehow like he was cheating on him. 

He broke away from their kiss. Minseok just smiled at him, oblivious to the elder’s inner feelings.

“I love you,” Minseok said.

“I love you too,” Minhyuk replied, although he was starting to think now that Minseok meant it differently than he did.

Minseok kissed him again, softly, and then Minhyuk jumped as he felt the younger hybrid’s hand reach between his legs. Minhyuk pulled back quickly as he pushed away Minseok’s hand.

“Minkki, what are you…” he stuttered.

Minseok looked at him questioningly, those big brown eyes staring into Minhyuk’s as he pouted slightly.

“I thought we could do like before…” Minseok said quietly.

Minhyuk sighed. He knew they should never have gotten drunk.

“Minkki…that night…it was…I mean, we shouldn’t have…” Minhyuk struggled to find the right words as Minseok just looked at him with those adorable eyes.

The younger bunny began to play with the bottom of his ear nervously as he waited for Minhyuk’s reponse. But Minhyuk couldn’t think of what to say.

“You don’t want me?” Minseok asked, his voice tiny and sad.

“No, it’s not that,” Minhyuk replied quickly, “It’s just…” He sighed. There was no easy way to say it. He just had to settle for being blunt. “All that stuff happened because we were drunk. It was…a mistake. I shouldn’t have done that with you. But I do love you! Just…not like that?”

Minseok’s lower lip was trembling now as he looked away from Minhyuk. 

“I don’t understand…” he said, “I thought…I thought we would be mates…”

Minhyuk felt his heart break. So that was the change he had felt? It wasn’t that Minseok was in heat. It was that he had fallen in love with Minhyuk. All because of that stupid drunken night. Minhyuk would never forgive Ilhoon. If that hamster hadn’t brought them the wine none of this would have happened. 

Minhyuk watched as a silent tear rolled down Minseok’s cheek. He wiped it away, then took the other bunny’s face in his hands.

“I love you Minkki,” he said, “I love you so much. But, I can’t do those things with you anymore. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it in the first place. I just…I want you to stay the way you are. My cute little dongsaeng that loves to cuddle…”

“So you’ll still cuddle with me?” Minseok asked, sniffling.

“Of course,” Minhyuk replied, “But that’s all we can do. I’m sorry, I can’t be your mate.”

Another tear slipped down the bunny’s cheek. Minhyuk wiped this one away too.

“Is it…is it because you want to be mates with someone else?” Minseok asked, his voice trembling.

Yes. Kind of. But that’ll never happen in a million years.

Minhyuk shook his head.

“There’s no one else,” he lied, “I just like what we have now, Minkki. I don’t want to change that.”

Minseok nodded sadly as he blinked back the rest of his tears. He was being a lot more composed than he usually was and Minhyuk was slightly proud.

“Okay,” Minseok said, “We won’t do that. But…we can still sleep in the same bed, right?”

Mihyuk kissed the worried little bunny’s forehead.

“Yes, always.”

Even though you wish you could sleep in Heenim’s bed? Even though you’re always imagining Minkki’s arms are Heenim’s whenever you sleep together? Even though you want Heenim to tell you you’re a bad bunny and spank you and

Shut up.

Minhyuk pushed away all the other thoughts as he gave Minseok a hug. He thought about how cruel the universe could be sometimes. Minseok loved him, but he loved Heechul. And even though Heenim loved all of them the way an owner should, Minhyuk was starting to see that Minseok was his favourite. It was something he didn’t want to admit, but lately he’d been seeing more and more evidence of it.

What a messed up little family they were now…

***

Jihoon watched the back door of the restaurant intently as he waited in the shadows of the alleyway. He had listened to what his noona had said and now he was going to be smarter about his thievery. He was already wearing a baseball cap over his ears and his tail was tucked away in his pants. It felt uncomfortable to have it strapped down to his leg, but he supposed he did look less conspicuous this way. 

He heard the sound of the truck rumbling into the alleyway and waited anxiously. Just as he predicted, it stopped in front of the restaurant’s backdoor. The driver stepped out, a skinny young guy who couldn’t have been more than eighteen years old. He was carrying a big box in his arms and Jihoon could smell the delicious scent of fish wafting from it. Before the delivery man could ring the buzzer Jihoon called out to him.

“Oh hello!” Jihoon said as he approached, “I was just taking out the trash. The boss is real busy right now, so I can sign for that.”

The driver eyed him suspiciously.

“You work for Oh-ssi?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m new,” Jihoon replied, brimming with confidence, “I’m Seungcheol. Nice to meet you.”

He bowed to the driver and the young man gave him a slight nod back as he looked Jihoon up and down, apparently not convinced.

“Aren’t you kind of young to be working? How old are you anyway?” he asked and Jihoon felt his tail twitch angrily against his leg.

Luckily he had tied it down well or his cover would have been instantly blown.

“I’m three…twenty-three years old,” he said quickly, “I’m just short for my age.”

He tried to smile through his annoyance, still trying to pretend he was just a jovial young (human) sushi chef. But the driver wasn’t going for it.

“I’m just going to get Oh-ssi to sign for it…” the man said.

He began to reach for the buzzer and in desperation Jihoon slapped his hand away. The driver looked at him in shock and Jihoon grabbed at the box in a panic, the temptation of so much fish overriding any common sense he had left.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?!” the driver exclaimed.

He grabbed onto the box with both hands as Jihoon tried to pull it away. Now they were both stuck in a game of tug-of-war. Jihoon pulled with all his might, trying to wrench the precious cargo from its owner. But the driver was relentless. He pulled back just as hard, keeping Jihoon from victory. 

Jihoon hissed, trying to kick the stupid driver with his small feet. Then he had a better idea. He loosened his grip with one hand momentarily, just so he could dig his claws into the driver’s hand as hard as he could. The young man yelled out in pain and let go of the box. Jihoon stumbled backwards holding his stolen bounty triumphantly. 

“You freak!” the driver yelled in disbelief as he clutched at his injured hand, “You’re one of those fucking things, aren’t you?”

Jihoon smiled as he tipped his hat, showing off his ears. 

And then something slammed into the back of his head, hard. Jihoon fell to the ground instantly, the box crumpled beneath him. 

No, not again. Not another grandma and her handbag.

But the swift kick to his side made Jihoon realize in a moment that this was no grandma.

“You little piece of shit!” someone yelled and then another kick.

Jihoon cried out in pain as the heavy boot connected with his ribs with a sickening cracking sound. He tried to get up, tried to fight back, but this new man was so much bigger and stronger. The man was swearing and yelling at him, calling him horrible names as he beat him. Jihoon wanted to get away, but every time he tried to move, the man would kick him or knock him down again. 

His vision was blurry now and he could taste blood in his mouth. But he couldn’t do anything. The human was just too strong. 

You should have realized. You can’t do anything against them. It’s their world, not yours. And that’s how it’ll always be.

He couldn’t get away, not this time. He had no choice but to lie there and take it, hoping it would end soon. Maybe the human would end up killing him. That wouldn’t be so bad, would it? This world wasn’t really his anyway…

“Hey! What are you doing? Stop that! It’s just a little cat!” someone else was yelling.

And mercifully the kicking ended. Jihoon lay still, his body in agony. He wanted to run away, but his limbs didn’t seem to be listening to him at the moment. He turned his head and spit out a mouthful of blood onto the dirty pavement below. He could hear people talking somewhere nearby, but couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. His head was spinning too much to understand.

No, it’s just like before! When you were stuck in that place!

With a sudden surge of frantic adrenaline Jihoon picked himself up off the ground. His arm hurt so badly, he was sure it was broken. And he definitely had some broken ribs, that much he knew. But it didn’t matter. He was not going back to the research facility. The humans would surely call the Catchers on him. Even the one who had called off his attackers would probably do it, thinking it was for the best. “They’ll take care of you,” the man would say before the Catchers sedated Jihoon and dragged him back to the lab.

“No…” Jihoon said, determined.

He grit his teeth against the pain as he dragged himself from the alleyway, hobbling away quickly. Thankfully his legs hadn’t been really injured. But it hurt just to breathe now. He held his broken arm to his side, trying to keep it as immobile as possible. He had his claws out and ready. If anyone tried to come after him, he vowed to himself that he would scratch them to death. He was not going back to that place, no matter what.

But nobody followed him. They didn’t care enough. For once he was glad for the indifference.

Full of fire, he limped all the way back home. He just wanted to see Ailee. He wasn’t looking forward to the lecture she would give him, but at least she would take care of him. They might not have come from the same family, but they were closer than real brother and sister by now. She was one of the reasons he kept on going. He wanted to make her proud one day. He wanted to see that smile on her face as she said “Yep, that’s my little brother…”

It was a stupid dream of his, but it was all he had.

Jihoon groaned as he climbed into the window, the pain from so much movement making his head spin. His entrance into the room was a lot less graceful than usual as he fell onto the ground with a loud thud. He hissed as he hit his broken arm and he felt his tail strain against the ties holding it down as it tensed in pain.

“Ailee…” he moaned.

But there was no response. 

Maybe she had already gone out for the day? She had said she wouldn’t be going out until the afternoon, but Jihoon supposed she could have changed her mind. But as his eyes focused and he looked around the room he realized how wrong he was.

The place was a mess. There were boxes overturned and papers scattered about. It was Jihoon’s things. He recognized the words he had written. The papers were usually stored neatly in his bag, but now they were covering the floor. Ailee’s things were strewn about too. Her clothes and jewelry were among the mess.

Jihoon came to his senses quickly as he got up off the floor.

“No…no no no…” he muttered.

He frantically sniffed the air. He had been so preoccupied with his injuries before he hadn’t been on the alert for any smells. But now it was unmistakable. The scent of Catchers. And the scent of…

Jihoon looked down at a spot on the floor. There was a small splatter of blood. He leaned in close and his heart stopped in his chest as he sniffed. It was definitely Ailee’s.

“No no no no no no…” Jihoon said desperately as he whirled around the room, his panicked brain not sure what to do.

Her scent. Her scent. Follow her scent.

Ignoring the pain, Jihoon climbed back out the window and ran to the front of the building. He could still smell Ailee’s scent, he could still track her. He ran down the street, noting another small blood spot on the pavement as he went. He ran to the end of the block, hoping for a miracle. But he should have known better.

There, at the corner, the scent just stopped suddenly. He walked around more, trying to catch something else, but it was impossible. There was nothing there.

She had vanished. Just like his mother.

Jihoon limped back to the building they had been staying in, defeated. He gathered up his papers from the floor and began stuffing them into his backpack. Written on them were lyrics, lyrics that maybe one day he could turn into a real song, if he ever got the chance. He had sometimes fantasized about himself and Ailee busking somewhere, a crowd of people watching these two cat singers happily. The people would smile and clap and say “Look at what nice hybrids those are. They’re no different from us, aren’t they?”

That was never going to happen now.

Jihoon looked down at the page in his hand.

“I can smile because we’re together  
I can cry because it’s you  
So what can’t I do?”

He crumpled it up and threw it onto the ground. Then he dumped the rest of the papers out. Instead of taking them in his pack he simply picked up a necklace of Ailee’s. It was a silver chain with a triangle pendant. He tucked it into his pocket. 

“I won’t ever forget you,” he whispered.

Then he left the place, not knowing where he was going, not knowing what he was doing.

Just living. For now. That’s all we can do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Wake Me Up - B.A.P.


	7. Full Circle Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hamsters make a mess, Jihoon thinks about how he met Heechul and a new hybrid is finally brought into the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion of Jihoon's backstory! So next part will be getting back to Heechul. I feel like I've left him forever, poor Heenim... ;_;

Jihoon walked the streets alone. It had been a few days since his beating, but he didn’t feel any better. He’d managed to fashion a sling for his broken arm, but he could do nothing about his ribs which ached all the time. He’d managed to survive so far on a couple packets of ramen he had shoplifted with great difficulty, but he was really craving some meat. 

There was no real way he could get any though. Even at full health he hadn’t been very successful at stealing, not as much as Ailee had been anyway, and now it was out of the question. The ramen really wasn’t enough to sustain him. So he’d had to resort to something else for the time being.

Jihoon sniffed deeply as he rounded the corner of a house under the cover of darkness. He listened intently for any sounds of people, but it was thankfully quiet. He spied the large, dark bin sitting by the side of the house, the source of the smell. There was something edible inside it, he was sure.

Wincing slightly at the pain in his side, Jihoon lifted the lid of the trash bin and sniffed again. He was greeted with a myriad of smells, most of them pretty foul, but there was the lingering scent of cooked meat somewhere inside there. Ignoring his revulsion, the tiny cat hybrid leaned forward and all but dove in, searching for something to quiet his growling stomach.

So it’s come to this, has it?

***

“I’m going to make something to eat for the new cat when he gets here,” Soonyoung exclaimed, much to the horror of the others.

He went striding into the kitchen, full of confidence for such a silly little rodent, Jihoon noted. The cat hybrid was watching TV contentedly on one side of the couch with llhoon and Minseok squished together on the other side, the pair of rodents not minding their closeness as they gave Jihoon the space he needed.

“We’re not allowed to cook,” Ilhoon reminded Soonyoung.

“It’s okay,” the other hamster said with a wave of his hand, “I’m not going to use the stove this time.”

“Oh good.”

“Just the oven.”

Jihoon watched, amused, as Ilhoon and Minseok’s eyes widened in horror at Soonyoung’s announcement. Jihoon hadn’t been in the house yet when Soonyoung and Ilhoon had apparently started a small fire trying to cook once before, but he had heard all about it from the bunnies. And of course from Heechul reminding Jihoon more than a few times to never ever cook. His…owner (ugh, he hated that word) had told him he would cook Jihoon whatever he wanted whenever he wanted so the cat didn’t need to worry about touching the stove or anything else in the kitchen, except snacks or drinks. And Heechul had made good on his promise. Jihoon had never eaten so well in his life since coming to live with him.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea…” Minseok cautioned, the little bunny holding onto one of his droopy ears nervously as he watched Soonyoung noisily ambling around the kitchen.

“Relax,” Soonyoung said, pulling some bowls out with a clashing sound that made Jihoon’s ears flatten slightly, “I’m just going to make a cake. It’s easy, I watched Heenim do it before. Everything’s in a box, you just need to bake it.”

“I think you need to do a little more than that,” Ilhoon said, laughing.

“Please don’t burn the house down,” Minseok pleaded.

Jihoon said nothing as he listened to the conversation between the three of them. Even though he had lived in the house for six months he still didn’t really feel like he was quite a part of it yet. And he didn’t know if he’d ever feel that way. Even though Heechul was going to get another cat hybrid today, Jihoon wasn’t sure if that’d fix the situation. Sure, having another cat would be nice when the rodents were getting too out of hand, but he didn’t think it would make this place feel any more like “home” to him. Not that he really knew what that felt like anyway…

“See, it says here you need to add eggs. And cooking oil,” Ilhoon said, holding the cake mix box out in front of the other hamster.

“Well we have eggs right?” Soonyoung replied, undeterred.

“Do you even know how much oil to put in?” Ilhoon asked, “You have to measure, right? How do you do that?”

“I…I don’t know, I’ll figure it out,” Soonyoung said hastily.

“What does it mean, ‘pre-heat the oven’?” Minseok asked, as he read over the back of the box, “And what’s a 350F?”

“I don’t think you need that,” Soonyoung said, “You just turn the oven on and it gets hot.”

“I don’t think Heechul appa would like it…” Minseok said quietly.

Jihoon watched the three of them bicker, just an amused outsider. He wasn’t paying much attention to the TV anymore, this show was so much better.

“How come you guys have no faith in me?” Soonyoung pouted.

“Because it’s you,” Ilhoon replied with a cheeky grin.

Soonyoung gave him a smack with the spatula he was holding and Jihoon couldn’t help but laugh slightly. The noise caught Minseok’s attention and the little lop bunny looked back at him, smiling now. Then he turned to the hamsters.

“You should hit him again,” he said playfully, “You made the kitty laugh.”

Jihoon turned back to the TV, embarrassed at the attention brought onto him, but he could still hear the “thwap! thwap!” sound of the spatula as Soonyoung hit Ilhoon again with it. And then there was a yelp and now Soonyoung was whining as Ilhoon turned the tables on him. Jihoon looked back to see Minseok giggling as Ilhoon chased Soonyoung around the kitchen, whacking him on the butt with the spatula over and over. The older hamster was a lot stronger and more determined than the other, something that Soonyoung never seemed to learn. 

At least he had learned his lesson after Jihoon had scratched him. All of them had. Since then they hadn’t touched Jihoon at all. Well, not that Minseok had ever touched him in the first place. The shy little bunny was probably Jihoon’s “favourite” hybrid in the house, mostly because he left Jihoon alone and didn’t tease him like the others. The hamsters had been the worst offenders. Jihoon knew that Soonyoung’s was done out of some kind of misguided attempt at friendship, but Ilhoon just liked to annoy him, that he was sure of. Minhyuk sometimes joined them, but rarely bugged Jihoon when he was on his own. Apparently he only acted as an accomplice to the hamsters. But Minseok had been too scared to even talk to him when he first arrived and had so far never laid a finger on him. 

There was one time when they had been watching a movie and Minseok had accidentally fallen asleep on his shoulder. Jihoon hadn’t minded. He wasn’t opposed to skinship, he just liked it on his terms. He didn’t like when the others treated him like a baby or touched him when he didn’t want to be touched. But truthfully, he did enjoy some contact. And Minseok’s soft little ear against his neck had felt nice as the rabbit dozed next to him peacefully. 

But when Minseok woke up he had been so startled by the cat hybrid’s closeness that he had jumped up off the couch with a little yelp. He had stammered an apology and quickly run off to the bathroom. And when he returned he went to sit on Heechul’s lap instead, curling up to their owner and wanting to be pet and cuddled by him. Jihoon hadn’t done anything to him at all, but still the bunny had been scared of him. That was just the kind of vibe the cat hybrid’s personality gave off he supposed. 

It was why even though he liked Minseok, they couldn’t really be friends. The bunny was way too skittish. Jihoon needed someone on his level. Someone who wouldn’t bully or baby him because of his size, but who wouldn’t cower before him like a scared little mouse either.

For the first time since Heechul’s announcement Jihoon felt a tiny twinge of excitement at the prospect of a new hybrid entering the house. He wondered what the new cat would be like. Maybe they would actually get along well.

“That doesn’t look right,” Ilhoon said, staring down at the blobby mess Soonyoung had made in one of the mixing bowls.

“How do you know if the oven is ready?” Minseok asked, “Does it beep like the microwave? It doesn’t look like it’s very hot…”

“I don’t know. Soonyoung, why don’t you stick your head in there and find out?” Ilhoon suggested, laughing.

Soonyoung smacked him with the spatula again, but unfortunately this time it was covered in cake batter. Jihoon watched as the sticky batter slopped on the floor and Ilhoon yelled at Soonyoung for getting his pants wet. The older hamster scooped up some cake batter on his finger and flung it at Soonyoung. It hit the hybrid with a “splat”, spilling droplets of batter onto the floor as well. 

And soon the two idiots were running around the kitchen again, flinging cake batter at each other as Minseok hid under the table from them.

Yeah, Jihoon couldn’t wait until there was another cat here.

***

He was so hungry. He hurt so much.

Once again Jihoon found himself stumbling around this neighbourhood in the dark. He had hoped getting a little bit of meat in him would have helped him heal, but his ribs were starting to feel worse. He had been coughing a lot recently too, and sometimes it brought up little specks of blood. That couldn’t have been good, but there wasn’t really much he could do about it. 

He just needed to find something really good to eat. That would help him. Getting a little more meat in his belly was sure to fix him right up. That was all he could focus on for now. Just eat and get better. Then he could think about his future. Then he could think about what to do now that Ailee was gone. Now that he had abandoned his dreams of singing and making her proud.

He wandered the streets aimlessly, sniffing around for something good. There had to be something left in one of these trash bins. It was a nice neighbourhood, kind of upscale, and people like that were always throwing away way too much food. And then he smelled it.

Barbecue.

Someone was actually cooking meat outside right now. Jihoon followed the scent desperately, his short little legs carrying him forward without much thought from his brain. He soon found himself outside a nice, big house with a very large backyard. The smell was coming from there. Jihoon slowly crept around the side of the house and peered through a crack in the fence. There he could see some people gathered around a grill on the back porch. They were talking and laughing as one of them turned the delicious smelling pieces of meat over with a pair of tongs. 

No, Jihoon noted as he inhaled deeply, they weren’t all people. It was a mixture of hybrids and humans. Jihoon pressed his face closer to the fence as he tried to assess the situation. There were three averaged sized, slightly skinny, humans gathered around the grill and four average sized hybrids sitting at the table. Three of them were rodents and then Jihoon’s tail tensed up as he realized one of them was a dog. He knew he had to be careful then. He’d had a few run-ins with stray dog hybrids before and none of them had been pleasant. Suddenly someone else emerged from the house. It was another human carrying a small bunny hybrid in his arms. At first Jihoon had thought the man had been carrying a human child, but now he could see the long lop ears this little one had. 

He thought about his mother, holding him in her arms and felt his heart ache. He had forgotten about the smell of the meat now as he watched the little group. They looked like a family having a nice summer get-together. Jihoon wondered, could humans and hybrids really live so nicely together? He’d seen other hybrids out with their owners before, but had never given it much thought. He had always figured being owned was like being someone’s slave. Sure you got fed and got a bed to sleep in, but it came at a price. It always did. Ailee’s owner hadn’t been very nice to her before she’d run away. She’d told him not to trust humans and he had listened.

So far they had always proved her right. Humans were nasty creatures. They called him horrible things. They hit and kicked him. They would rather he starve to death than give up some of their food. Really, it was better to be alone than try to live in their world alongside them.

But as he spied on the others Jihoon couldn’t help but wonder. What would it be like? To be a part of a real family. He watched as one of the humans fed a lettuce wrap to one of the hybrids, laughing as he wiped at some sauce spilled on the rodent’s chin. Next to him the dog hybrid’s tail was wagging happily as he held up his plate, asking for more meat, and one of the other humans quickly obliged him, piling the plate high with food before giving the puppy an affectionate pat on the head. The human holding the rabbit sat down and began feeding the little bunny from his plate, softly petting the hybrid’s ears every now and then. Someone told a joke and everyone laughed, their voices ringing out in the otherwise silent night.

Everyone looked so happy.

Jihoon was suddenly aware of the wetness on his cheeks. He stepped back from the fence and rubbed at his eyes, annoyed. Then he quickly left the scene. There was no way he was getting meat from there, there were too many people. He would just look for a trash bin somewhere else. 

He found one with a few scraps in it not long after. It was enough to stop his stomach from gnawing away at itself, but it hadn’t exactly been an enjoyable meal. He continued to wander around for a long time after that, not really sure what to do with himself. All he could think about was that barbecue. No matter how long he walked around afterwards it still stayed in his mind. And soon he found himself back in front of that house. Somehow, subconsciously, his route had taken him back there. 

Once again Jihoon went up to the fence. It was quiet now and it seemed as if everyone had gone to bed. But there was still the lingering scent of meat in the air. Maybe there were still some remnants in the grill. Or maybe someone had dropped something on the ground. Jihoon couldn’t believe how excited he was by the prospect of that, but he guessed this was his life now. He was no longer a cat hybrid. He was more like a rat.

Jihoon sniffed carefully for any signs of the humans or other hybrids, but it was clear they were no longer outside. All he could smell was meat. Slowly, he opened the gate to the backyard and treaded carefully onto the lawn. His whole body felt tense as he made his way to the back porch. He was ready for any surprises, but thankfully none came. It was quiet and still in the summer night air. And Jihoon was alone. As he reached the table his mouth fell open. It wasn’t just a few scraps that were left. There was a whole plate of grilled pork left sitting out. Jihoon looked around quickly. Maybe he had misjudged and they were still in the process of cleaning up. But the porch lights were off and there were no lights on inside. No, they had obviously already gone to bed. They must have just forgotten about this.

Then he saw the piece of paper next to the plate. Jihoon picked it up carefully.

“Take all of it. And maybe next time you can eat with us. :)”

Jihoon looked around warily, expecting any moment for the lights to come on and someone to jump out at him. But neither happened. He looked down at the meat on the plate. He thought for a moment about not eating it, it could have been a trap after all, but then he thought about what he had seen earlier. They had all seemed so happy with each other, so loving. And there wasn’t one bit of fear scent in the air. None of the hybrids had been distressed. There was no way they could have smelled so calm if this place had been a bad one.

And besides that, he was just really fucking hungry.

Jihoon tore into the pork, devouring it in a matter of seconds. Then he quickly scurried off, hurrying back to the park he was sleeping in before anyone could come out and question him. He slept well that night for once, his belly full for the first time since Ailee had been taken away. And he dreamed about a big house full of delicious food. And someone was petting his ears as he purred.

The next night Jihoon found himself walking back along the same route. Normally he would move on after a night, choosing not to steal from the same place twice. But he hadn’t really been stealing this time, had he? They had offered the food to him. So he couldn’t help but come back.

The back porch was quiet this night and there was no smell of barbecue wafting through the air this time. But Jihoon could smell something. It was fresh fish. Once again, he opened up the gate and snuck into the backyard, coming upon a plate full of fish filets sitting out on the table. There was also a little bottle of milk. There was a note next to this plate as well. 

“Dear kitty,

Please enjoy the fish! And please come visit us in the daytime one day.

Love,  
The bunnies (Minhyuk and Minseok)”

P.S. The hamsters gave you the milk.”

There was a drawing apparently from the hamsters as well that showed a happy cat hybrid drinking some milk. It wasn’t very good, but Jihoon couldn’t help but smile at it. 

He went back again the next night, albeit much slower this time. While the food was helping out his stomach, it wasn’t doing much for his injuries. His body felt like it was getting stiffer and his cough had started to get worse. He ached so much when he woke up in the morning he had to summon all of his strength just to get up off the ground. He hoped his ribs would heal soon, so he could get back to being his old, spry self.

There was fish out again for him as he approached the patio. But this time there were two pieces of paper, along with a pen.

“Dear kitty,

Can you please tell us your name? In our house we are:

Heechul (Owner)  
Minhyuk (bunny)  
Ilhoon (hamster)  
Soonyoung (hamster)  
Minseok (bunny)

We want to know your name too!

Love,  
Everyone”

From the shaky writing it was clear it was written by another hybrid and not a human. Jihoon sniffed at the paper and guessed it was one of the bunnies. He gulped down the fish gratefully then stared at the pen left behind. He picked it up and twirled it around in his hand, contemplating if this was a good idea or not. Well, none of this was really a good idea, was it? If he hadn’t been injured and desperate he never would have kept coming back in the first place. But since he was here now…

He quickly scribbled “Jihoon” on the other paper, then took off into the night again, coughing from his hasty retreat. He was still coughing as he went back the park and it took him awhile to calm his aching lungs and finally go to sleep. 

The next morning was a particularly bad one. Jihoon wheezed as he opened his eyes and tried to sit up, but his body didn’t seem to be listening. He tried to take a deep breath and that didn’t work either. His whole torso hurt so badly, he could barely move. He tilted his head to the side and coughed deeply, his body seeming to contort with every movement. A spatter of blood dotted the ground beside him and Jihoon grimaced. He wasn’t getting any better. Even with all the food his injuries were just too severe. But again, what could he do, but just endure it?

Once again, that night, he went back to the house. He didn’t even think about going through trash bins now. Not when there was always a feast laid out for him. He was moving even slower than before and the effort of opening up the gate was almost too much for his stiff little body. He tried to contain his coughs, but it was impossible and he hacked loudly as he entered the backyard. But he didn’t care. He didn’t have to be stealthy anymore. 

There, waiting for him on the table, was the best kind of tuna in the whole country. Jihoon had to wonder if he hadn’t actually died and gone to heaven. This tuna was really expensive, he knew because Ailee had explained to him how difficult it was to steal it. No chef would risk a paycut for that amount of fish going missing, so it was better just not to even try taking it.

Jihoon’s mouth was watering. It smelled so good it made him forget all about the pain his body was in. He didn’t even look at the note that was there for him before diving in to the food. If he had he might not have been so startled when the patio door opened and a human stepped out.

Jihoon froze, a piece of fish dangling from his mouth. 

“It’s okay,” the human said, “I won’t hurt you. I just…wanted us to meet.”

Jihoon didn’t say anything as he eyed the newcomer up and down, the piece of tuna quivering where it was held between his teeth. He was on such alert he didn’t dare even chew. 

The human sat down on the ground, making himself lower than the cat hybrid, a feat that was pretty much impossible to do unless you sat. 

“You must be Jihoon,” the human said, “I’m Heechul. Can I ask you…what happened to your arm?”

Jihoon bit the tuna off carefully, letting it fall from his mouth and onto the table. He didn’t take his eyes off the human before him.

“Humans,” he said simply.

“Someone hurt you?” Heechul asked and Jihoon nodded slowly, still watching him carefully.

“But it’s not just your arm, is it? One of the bunnies smelled your blood on the ground. And that cough sounds pretty bad. Are you sick too?”

Jihoon shook his head.

“Someone kicked me. Lots,” he replied.

He saw the concern on the human’s face. It was worrying to him. He didn’t want to show any weakness now, he couldn’t. He didn’t want to be taken away. But his body had other ideas as a series of wracking coughs emerged from him, breaking his stare-off. He tried to get it under control, but this time it wasn’t working. All the adrenaline surging through him was only serving to make things worse. Jihoon sat down in a slump onto the ground, his head spinning as he hacked and coughed, feeling like his lungs were trying to escape from him. The human rushed over to him and Jihoon didn’t have the strength to try and get away. 

Any minute now the trick is coming, Jihoon thought. Because life is never just good. Humans always have something up their sleeve. And he was sure this one was no different. 

Any minute now you’re going to get beaten again. And this time it’ll kill you.

But the human didn’t hit him. Instead he rubbed Jihoon’s back, trying to calm the coughing hybrid. A moment later Jihoon smelled a rabbit and then someone was handing him a glass of water. He sipped it gratefully, calming the spasms in his throat and then he spat out some blood, cringing as it splatted against his pants instead of the ground like he had intended. 

“I think he has broken ribs,” the human was saying to the rabbit, “Go get me the phone, I’m going to see if the hybrid doctor can come over.”

“No…” Jihoon said weakly.

He didn’t want anyone to be called. He didn’t want a doctor. He was scared now. What if they pumped him full of drugs and put him back in the facility? He couldn’t go back there again. He wanted to live. He wanted to be happy…just for once…

“It’s okay,” the human was telling him, “I won’t hurt you. But we need to fix your injuries.”

He was cradling Jihoon now, stroking the cat hybrid’s hair and petting his ears softly. Jihoon didn’t have the strength left to run away. But now that he thought about it he didn’t really want to run away anyway. He was so tired. So hungry all the time. And this human smelled nice and his voice was soothing. Jihoon realized he didn’t want to run anymore. 

“Please…” he said quietly, “Don’t send me away. Don’t let them take me.”

“Who?” the human asked, “Who are you afraid of?”

“The Catchers…” Jihoon breathed, “H-hybrid police. Please. Don’t let them take me away. Don’t let them take me to that place.”

The human hugged him and Jihoon thought of his mother holding him close. His mother, who had saved him from a life of pain and torment. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t let them take you,” the human said, “I’ll protect you. You can stay with us and you won’t have to worry about them ever again.”

Where had he heard words like that before? Then he remembered.“Eomma will protect you. You just stay with me. I’ll never let them take you away again. I love you, my sweet Jihoon.” His mother had said the same thing. But now she was gone.

Jihoon held onto the human’s shirtsleeve tightly, this human he barely knew. He had nobody left now. His mother, Ailee, they both had been taken from him. But now he had a chance once again. He just had to trust that there were still good humans. He just had to believe it.

***

In the end he had been right. Heechul had been a very good human and he had taken care of Jihoon, nursing him back to health, slowly, and on the cat’s own terms. Jihoon had been wary of being brought inside the house, so they had made a space for him out in the greenhouse for the first few days. It had been nice and warm inside and the other hybrids had visited him often, telling him lots of stories about their owner and their adventures, no doubt trying to convince him to come inside. After a few days Jihoon had felt comfortable enough to enter the house, but only the downstairs. He had slept on the couch and eaten his meals there too, under the pretense of being too sick to eat at the kitchen table, but really he was just too shy. He had never eaten with so many people around before and being so close to them was kind of overwhelming. 

Eventually he had enough courage to venture upstairs. There he found a room already made up for him, with a bed and a desk and several pairs of pants and shirts hanging in the closet, apparently all for him. He’d never forget his first night in that room, falling back onto the soft bed and curling up under the warm clean blankets. It felt like heaven. 

Now he was used to this sort of luxury. But he would never take it for granted. His fight with Soonyoung had been a wake-up call. He couldn’t pull that kind of shit again. Not after feeling what it was like to almost leave. No, he would be on his best behaviour now. Even if the new cat hybrid was annoying. Even if they were a total asshole. Even if…

“They’re here! They’re here!”

Soonyoung was jumping up and down at the window as he spotted Heechul’s car pulling into the driveway. The other hybrids all clamoured behind him, trying to get a peak. 

“Minhyuk hyung! They’re back!” Ilhoon called out and moments later the eldest hybrid appeared downstairs.

Jihoon felt a bit of excitement stir inside him. This was it. He was finally going to meet his roommate. He stood up from the couch and quickly rubbed a hand over his hair, smoothing it down. Then he brushed off his clothes as well. He was feeling slightly nervous, but in a good way. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this, if ever. He was like a human child on their birthday, waiting to unwrap a big present.

“Whoa,” he heard one of the hybrids at the window say and that only piqued his curiosity more.

He was about to join them, his impatience growing, when suddenly the door opened. Heechul stepped inside, followed by an absolutely enormous hybrid. The others stared in shock at the giant and Minseok hid himself behind Ilhoon, cowering into the hamster’s back. To say this new hybrid was big would be an understatement. Jihoon knew he himself was very small, but this guy towered over even Heechul. Jihoon didn’t know that cat hybrids couldn’t even get this big.

And that’s when he saw it. The big long tail that was wagging back and forth instead of hovering still like Jihoon’s usually did. Jihoon sniffed and his nose wrinkled up. No. No, it couldn’t be.

“It’s a dog,” Jihoon said simply, his voice not hiding his disgust.

“Yes, and I can explain…” Heechul started as he stepped in front of the giant hybrid.

“You brought back a dog?” Jihoon asked.

He couldn’t believe it. This…thing was going to be his roommate? He was supposed to share his space with a giant fucking dog? He could feel his tail swishing angrily behind him as his ears flattened against his head and his claws were itching to extend.

“I talked with all the cats at the adoption center,” Heechul explained, “And none of them seemed like they’d be a good fit for us. But Mingyu is really good. He’s young and considerate and he listens well. You’ll like him Jihoon, if you just give him a chance...”

“I’ll never like a stupid dog hybrid!” Jihoon yelled and he stormed upstairs to his room, slamming the door behind him.

Of course, he thought as he fumed on his bed. Life was never simple. Humans always had a damn trick up their sleeve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Be the Light - Block B
> 
> He's here, finally! I knew I always wanted to add Mingyu to the story, I just didn't think it would take 7 chapters. >_<


	8. Changing Tides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mingyu is introduced to the others and Heechul realizes that the bunnies' relationship may need more attention than Jihoon and Mingyu's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read my story so far. I've been sick for a long time now and writing this has been a way for me to escape from the physical pain. I still have a lot of ideas for the storylines, but I just wanted people to know that even when I (hopefully) get better I will continue to write and will eventually finish out the story properly. It means far too much to me now to ever just leave it hanging.

Heechul was torn over what he should do. He wanted to go after Jihoon, but he knew he couldn’t leave Mingyu alone with the others. For the dog hybrid’s own well-being, not the rodents’. Even though Mingyu was big Heechul had seen how gentle and submissive he was at the adoption agency, doing whatever the cat hybrids asked him to, almost as if he was their servant. He had a feeling the giant puppy wouldn’t do anything to the other hybrids, even if they provoked him. And the hamsters could be quite provoking sometimes…

They were all crowded around the dog hybrid now, asking him questions and reaching up to touch at his ears. Mingyu’s tail was wagging, indicating he was content at least, but Heechul wanted to make sure he didn’t get overwhelmed.

“Back up, back up,” Heechul told the overenthusiastic hamsters, “Give him a bit of space.” He led Mingyu over to the couch and sat him down, the other hybrids following, “I’m sorry. Like I told you, they can get a little loud sometimes…”

Ilhoon sat down on one side of Mingyu with Minhyuk on the other as Soonyoung sat on the floor at his feet. 

“How old are you?” Soonyoung asked, playing absently with Mingyu’s pantleg.

“Two,” Mingyu replied.

“Wow! And you’re already that big?” Soonyoung exclaimed.

“Mm, you smell nice for a dog,” Ilhoon commented as he sniffed at Mingyu’s hair.

“Well, I just had a bath this morning…” Mingyu mumbled shyly.

“Do you like soccer?” Minhyuk asked, “You’d make a really good goalkeeper.”

“I don’t know, I’ve never played it…” Mingyu replied.

“You have really big feet,” Soonyoung commented from his spot on his the floor, “Does that mean you also have a big-“

“Soonyoung!” Heechul cut him off.

“What? It’s an honest question,” Soonyoung replied, giggling as Heechul just shook his head.

“That’s a myth,” Ilhoon told him, “My feet aren’t very big.”

“Yeah, well neither is your-“

“Soonyoung! Really…”

The hamster lowered his head at Heechul’s admonishment, but was still smiling cheekily.

“It’s bigger than yours…” Ilhoon muttered.

“Why don’t we talk about something else?” Heechul suggested.

“Is the cat going to be okay?” Mingyu asked him, looking concerned, “I don’t think he likes me…”

“He’ll come around,” Minhyuk told him as he tentatively touched Mingyu’s ears, checking the other hybrid’s reaction before he pet them.

“Yeah, he’s always like that,” Ilhoon added, “But he’s not that bad once you get to know him.”

“Jihoon’s nice,” Soonyoung piped up, “Just don’t ever touch his stomach, okay?”

“Why would I touch a cat’s stomach?” Mingyu asked, “I don’t have a death wish.”

Soonyoung looked away sheepishly as Ilhoon laughed. Heechul felt himself relax slightly as he watched everyone getting to know each other. At least Mingyu was getting along well with the rodents. Except for…

“Where’s Minseok?” Heechul asked.

Ilhoon simply pointed to the kitchen. Heechul followed his gaze and spied the little lop hiding under the table. The bunny was holding his ear in his hands as he watched them nervously. Heechul immediately felt like an ass. He had been so busy thinking about Mingyu and Jihoon’s interaction he had forgotten how Minseok might react to a giant dog hybrid suddenly coming into their home. 

As Heechul entered the kitchen he first noticed the mess. There were sticky globs of…something spattered on the floor and table and some kind of horrible mixture in a bowl. Not to mention the oven was on for some ungodly reason. Someone had obviously disobeyed his “don’t ever cook” rule and he had a hunch who it might have been. But that would have to wait for now. He had more pressing matters. Like the terrified hybrid he had so far neglected.

Heechul approached the table and leaned down, lifting the tablecloth slightly to get a better look at the scared little bunny cowering beneath it. 

“Minkki, don’t you want to come out and say hello to the new hybrid?” Heechul asked him.

Minseok shook his head, his eyes wide and frightened. He didn’t look at Heechul, instead keeping his gaze on the group sitting in the living room. Heechul wondered if it was maybe an instinctual thing, like keeping an eye on a potential “predator”. But Mingyu couldn’t have been less of a predator if he tried. The puppy seemed as sweet as could be and according to the woman at the adoption agency he was a model hybrid, always behaving himself and setting a good example, especially compared to the more rebellious cat hybrids they had. He had only been brought back by his last adoptive family for being “too clumsy” and “too expensive to feed”. And for Heechul neither of those things were an issue.

Of course Minseok didn’t know any of this and only saw a massive and unfamiliar dog in his house. 

“It’s okay,” Heechul reassured him, ‘Mingyu’s nice. I know he’s big, but he’s younger than you. He’s younger than even Jihoon. He’s just a puppy. So won’t you come out and meet him? Please?”

Minseok shook his head again, his lower lip trembling as he clung onto his ear. 

“He’s really big…” the rabbit whispered.

“It’s okay,” Heechul said again, “You have all of us here. There’s nothing to worry about.”

But Minseok didn’t move.

“Do you want me to hold you?” Heechul asked him. 

Minseok seemed to be considering for a moment and Heechul was worried he might refuse even that. Then the little bunny held out his arms in such an adorable child-like way that Heechul felt like his heart might burst. Heechul reached down and carefully pulled Minseok from his hiding spot before picking the rabbit up. 

He walked back to the living room slowly, trying not to startle the bunny by bringing him towards Mingyu too fast. Minseok was holding onto him so tightly Heechul felt like he was in a vice grip. But there was no way he was going to tell the scared hybrid to loosen his grip, so he simply let himself be squeezed. Who needed air anyway?

“Mingyu, this is Minseok,” Heechul introduced them.

“He’s really shy,” Minhyuk pointed out.

“But he’s cute so we love him,” Ilhoon added.

“He probably won’t talk you for a month, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you,” Soonyoung said.

“Just take it slow,” Minhyuk advised.

Mingyu nodded his head as he greeted the new rabbit. Heechul had to turn around so they would be facing each other, Minseok just peeking out over Heechul’s shoulder as he clung to his owner. The bunny gave the tiniest “hi” in response, speaking mostly out of politeness and not so much an attempt to be friendly. Heechul could feel the rapid “thud thud thud thud” of the hybrid’s heart beating in his chest. But Minseok didn’t seem to be quite as panicked as when Heechul had introduced him to Leeteuk or Donghae and Eunhyuk. He had spoken at least, so that was some progress. Heechul wasn’t sure if Minseok would ever get over his fear of strangers. He had been hoping that one day he could take the bunny outside, past the driveway and out into the outside world, the way he did with Minhyuk or the hamsters, but he wasn’t so sure that would happen anymore. 

It was just last week that Minseok had holed himself up in his room, crying all night because Heechul had been gone a bit longer than usual. How could Heechul ever expect him to just walk out into the neighbourhood, the neighbourhood where he had apparently been held captive, and stroll around like nothing was wrong? It was no surprise the hybrid never ventured farther than the back garden when everything else would most likely remind him of his trauma.

After the doctor had treated Minseok’s wounds Heechul had tried to find out where the hybrid had been held and who his fucked up owner was. All hybrids had a small tattoo on the inside of their ears with their registration number. Heechul had looked up Minseok’s number and found out which adoption agency the bunny had been at last. But when he called them up and explained the situation they had discovered that the name and address given to them by the “owner” was a fake one. 

While Minseok slept soundly, cuddled up next to Minhyuk, Heechul had decided to do some investigating on his own. He and Ilhoon had retraced the bunny’s steps, Ilhoon’s keen nose following the tiny specks of Minseok’s blood that had dotted the pavement along the route the bunny had taken to escape, leading them back to a small hotel. Heechul knew they’d come to the right place when he spotted a boarded up window on one of the rooms and Ilhoon confirmed it reeked like hybrid blood around the spot.

But questioning the hotel staff got them nowhere. Once again the owner had given a fake name. Even the ID he used at check-in was determined to be a fake. It made Heechul sick to his stomach. This man had obviously planned all of this out. The psychopath had it in his mind the whole time to adopt a hybrid and torture it. And who knows what else he might have done if Minseok hadn’t escaped. Heechul got the hotel receptionist to give a description to the police, but there wasn’t much else he could do. The police said they would go over the room for evidence, but if the man wasn’t in the system already there was little chance they’d find him. They said since Minseok had escaped the creep had probably skipped town or at the very least was no longer in the immediate area. All Heechul could hope for was that they caught the guy someday, before any other hybrids ended up like Minseok. Or worse.

Heechul rubbed Minseok’s back reassuringly, giving the little bunny a kiss on the cheek as he tried to focus his mind on other things. The thought of Minkki’s attacker still being out there kept him up at night sometimes, but he knew he had to be strong and keep up a good front for the hybrid. He couldn’t afford to scare the rabbit any more than he already was.

Think of something else, just think of something else…

Like your kitchen. Your dirty kitchen with the oven that is still turned on.

“So…” Heechul started, turning back to face the hybrids on the couch, “Who made the mess in the kitchen?”

“Soonyoung.”

“Ilhoon.”

The two hamsters both immediately implicated each other.

“It was not me!” Ilhoon protested.

“You threw cake mix at me!” Soonyoung retorted.

“You were the one making a cake in the first place!” Ilhoon shot back, “And I didn’t turn the oven on!”

“Well I didn’t turn it on either!” Soonyoung argued, “That was Minkki!”

“Only because you told him to!” Ilhoon pointed out, “Don’t try to get Minkki in trouble! It was your idea and it’s your mess!”

“I just wanted to make something nice for the new cat!” Soonyoung pouted.

“He’s not a cat, he’s a dog!” Ilhoon argued back.

“Well I thought he was going to be a cat!” 

“Stop, stop,” Heechul said, feeling like he was dealing with two toddlers at the moment, “It doesn’t matter whose idea it was. It seems like all of you were involved in some way, when at least one of you should have put a stop to it.”

“It’s my fault,” Minhyuk piped up, “I’m sorry, I was upstairs. I should have been watching them better and I should have stopped them.”

“It’s okay, Minhyukie,” Heechul told him, “It’s not your fault. You’re not their babysitter after all. Really, they should know better.”

He gave the hamsters a disapproving look as they quieted down. But Minhyuk didn’t seem to be finished.

“No,” the rabbit said, “I’m the oldest. I should have been looking after them and I wasn’t. I should be punished.”

Heechul saw the worried look on Mingyu’s face. No doubt the puppy hadn’t expected so much drama to happen on his first day. Heechul wanted to make a good impression of their household for the dog hybrid and he figured lining up his naughty hybrids against the wall again was certainly not going to do that.

“I’m not going to punish you,” Heechul said, then he turned to the hamsters, “Just go clean it all up and don’t do anything like that again, okay? If you want to cook, you can cook with me. But not by yourselves. Not after last time.”

Heechul wasn’t sure what to make of Minhyuk’s expression. He was sure the hybrids would have been happy that they were getting away without much of a reprimand. The hamsters certainly looked relieved as they headed towards the messy kitchen, but Heechul could have sworn Minhyuk seemed disappointed. Maybe there was just something else bugging the rabbit at the moment. But Heechul didn’t have the time to find out what it was. Not with Jihoon, Mingyu and Minseok to look after right now. He felt bad he couldn’t give Minhyuk more attention, but he knew the eldest bunny was strong and could deal with things much better than the others. 

But Jihoon on the other hand… Heechul would have to go talk to him. He couldn’t leave it like this.

“Minhyukie,” Heechul said, “Can you get a snack and some water for Mingyu? I really need to check on Jihoon.”

“Sure,” Minhyuk mumbled flatly.

Heechul went to give the rabbit a pat on the head, but Minhyuk ignored his owner’s hand and walked right past him and into the kitchen. Heechul groaned inwardly. If he wasn’t currently holding one scared bunny, trying to introduce a new puppy to their household, and having to go comfort an angry cat he would be able to figure out what was bothering Minhyuk. But he had to choose the most important issue at the moment. And that was Jihoon.

“Mingyu, you just stay here with the others,” Heechul told the dog hybrid, “I’ll be back soon. Just listen to Minhyuk, he’s the oldest. Don’t listen to anything the hamsters say.”

“Hey! We’re older than him too!” Soonyoung exclaimed.

“Yeah, we’re the hyungs, he should listen to us too,” Ilhoon added.

“Nobody should listen to you,” Heechul said, “Just look what happens. I want that kitchen cleaned up by the time I get back, alright?”

“Don’t worry, it’ll be sparkling,” Soonyoung said, putting his hand to his forehead in a mock salute, “You can count on us, Heenim.”

“Shut-up,” Ilhoon said, laughing as he tossed a sponge at the other hamsters’ head.

Heechul sighed.

“Minhyuk, you’ll keep an eye on them this time?” he asked.

“Mm,” came the oldest hybrid’s reply.

The rabbit didn’t turn around as he hunted around in the cupboard for the bag of dried squid tucked away somewhere inside. Heechul wasn’t too worried. He knew he could trust Minhyuk to look after the others, even if the hybrid did seem to be slightly moody right now.

With great effort Heechul climbed the stairs, still holding onto Minseok. He knew he wouldn’t be able to leave the bunny in the living room alone, but hopefully he could put him into his bedroom. 

“Oof, Minkki, did you grow?” Heechul said, “You’re getting heavier….”

“Maybe I’ve been eating too many waffles…” Minseok replied glumly.

Heechul chuckled and he kissed the little rabbit’s cheek.

“I’m joking,” he said, “You’re the same you’ve always been. It’s just a work-out carrying you up the stairs. You know you’re a little bit bigger than an animal bunny, right?”

“Sorry…” the rabbit said quietly, his words muffled by Heechul’s shoulder.

“Don’t be sorry,” Heechul told him, “It’s good exercise for me. Carrying you will give me better arms than Rain sunbaenim.”

He nuzzled against the little bunny’s neck, kissing him on the ears sweetly. He could feel Minseok’s body relax slightly at his touch. It was only for a moment though as the bunny tensed up again as soon as Heechul approached the door to the rabbits’ room. And when Heechul tried to set Minseok down on the bed the bunny refused to let him go.

“Minkki, I have to talk to Jihoon…” Heechul tried to protest.

Minseok made a pouty noise as he pressed his face into Heechul’s shoulder, clinging to him more like a baby koala than a rabbit.

“It’s okay, you’ll be safe in here,” Heechul tried to reassure him, “The others are all downstairs. And I’ll be back really soon, okay?”

“But…I want to stay with Heechul appa now…” Minseok whined.

Heechul listened to the hybrid’s heartbeat against his chest. It was no longer beating so fast like it had been before when they were downstairs. Minseok wasn’t scared apparently, but he was still being so clingy. And Heechul wanted to know why he sounded so sad.

“Is this because of Mingyu? Or something else?” Heechul asked him.

Minseok was quiet for a moment, then he mumbled “Something else…”

Heechul sat down on the edge of the bed, still holding the little bunny in his arms and instinctively began rocking him. It was times like this he had to remind himself that Minseok was an almost four year old fully grown hybrid and not a baby one. He wondered if the bunny’s personality had always been so timid or if it was only because of his trauma. Would Minseok have been more like Minhyuk or Ilhoon if he hadn’t gone through what he did? He supposed they’d never know. 

“And what is this something else?” Heechul prodded when Minseok didn’t go on.

He could feel Minseok chewing slightly at the collar of his shirt, the rabbit’s mouth tickling his skin.

“Minhyuk…” the little bunny whispered, but that was all he said.

So there was something going on with his oldest hybrid. Something that affected Minseok too. Heechul rubbed at his eyes in frustration. Maybe he really shouldn’t have gotten another hybrid right now. Things were getting more and more complicated and Mingyu hadn’t even been with them for a day yet. Oh well, he was stuck with this situation now. He would never even dream of bringing the puppy back. Especially after what the woman at the agency told him…

“What did Minhyuk do?” Heechul asked.

“N-nothing,” Minseok replied, his voice shaky as he was trying to hold back tears, “I just want to be with Heechul appa now. Please?”

Heechul stroked the rabbit’s ears softly.

“Okay,” he said, “But I still need to talk to Jihoon. So you’ll have to come with me then. We can’t stay in here.”

“That’s okay…” Minseok mumbled and Heechul sighed to himself.

He had been hoping the rabbit’s wariness of the cat hybrid would force him to let go of Heechul, but apparently his need to be with his owner outweighed his fear of Jihoon at the moment. And Heechul could never say no to him. He would always do what Minseok wanted. That adorable little bunny with his big brown eyes was Heechul’s number one weakness. Which was why Heechul went to have what should have been a heartfelt one-on-one talk with Jihoon carrying an extra hybrid along with him.

The cat hybrid didn’t seem phased by this however as Heechul entered his room along with Minseok. Perhaps Jihoon had been living with them long enough for this to be normal. 

The tiny hybrid was sitting at his desk when Heechul came in, scribbling away on a piece of paper. Heechul had always been curious what the little cat was working on all the time, but they hadn’t gotten close enough yet for Jihoon to reveal it. He had hoped that one day the cat hybrid would share it with him on his own, but with the way Jihoon’s personality was Heechul suspected he’d just have to ask him about it at some point. Now was obviously not the time.

“I’m sorry,” Jihoon huffed, the words sounding angry more than apologetic, “I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful to you. I’m not. It’s just…I can’t live with a dog.”

Heechul sat down on the bed, giving his tired arms a break in their supporting of the increasingly heavy Minseok. He was sure his back would be sore tomorrow. It was for Minkki though, so he could endure the pain.

“I understand you were surprised,” Heechul said, “But you can’t get so angry and run off every time things don’t go your way.”

He saw the cat’s tail swish behind him as Jihoon bit his lip. Heechul didn’t want to make him angrier. He knew the cat hybrid was still trying to adjust to living with people and other hybrids after being essentially on his own for so long. But Heechul also knew that he needed to be firm. He was the owner, this was his house, and the hybrids needed to listen to him and get along with each other.

“I don’t like dogs,” Jihoon grit out, “Why didn’t you get a cat? You said you would get a cat.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Heechul apologized, “But the cats there…they just weren’t right. I don’t think you would have liked any of them either…”

“Well can’t you try another place? Take him back and try somewhere else. Or just don’t get anyone else. I’m fine by myself.”

“I can’t take him back…” Heechul started.

“Yes you can!” Jihoon argued, “He’s only been here a little while, just get rid of him! People do it all the time!”

“Do you know what’ll happen to him if I bring him back?” Heechul asked, his voice serious, “I talked with the head of the agency. No one was adopting him for a long time and he was getting too expensive to take care of. He’d already been brought back once because the owners couldn’t afford to feed him. Do you know what happens to hybrids who are ‘unadoptable’?” Jihoon said nothing as he sat there petulantly listening, so Heechul continued, “They get sold off. And do you know who the biggest buyers of unadoptable hybrids are? Research companies. I know you wouldn’t want that to happen to Mingyu, even if you don’t like dogs.”

Jihoon looked at him suddenly, his eyes wide.

“What do you know about that?” he whispered.

His tail was tensed behind him as his ears stood straight up. Heechul imagined if he had fur on the rest of his body it would also be standing on end.

“I saw the tattoo in your ear when you were sick,” Heechul told him, “I wanted to know who had hurt you, so I looked up your number. It said you were registered in Busan as ‘Male Cat 1122’. The owner was listed as ‘DynaTech Hybrid Research and Intensive Care Facility’.”

“Is that what they call it?” Jihoon asked with a derisive laugh.

Judging from the cat’s reaction Heechul figured there wasn’t much “intensive care” going on there.

“If I didn’t adopt Mingyu he’d end up somewhere like that,” Heechul went on, “So no, I’m not taking him back. I’m sorry I brought home a dog instead of a cat, but that’s just how things turned out. You don’t have to be best friends with him, alright? But you do have to accept that he’s going to be your roommate.”

“But he’s…” Jihoon trailed off, seemingly having an internal battle over whether or not to finish his sentence, “He’s…just…really big.”

Heechul could tell the little cat hybrid was embarrassed at having to admit he was worried over their size difference. Even though he was small Jihoon had a lot of pride.

“You don’t have to worry,” Heechul told him, “He lived with a family before, with children. And he’s younger than you as well. He’s only two years old. You’ll be his hyung and he’ll listen to you. He lived with a lot of cats at the adoption center and the staff said he listened to them well.”

Jihoon let out a big sigh. Heechul figured the hybrid didn’t want to argue any further in case he appeared weak. At least Jihoon’s prideful nature came in handy sometimes. 

“Alright,” Jihoon said, “He can stay in here. As long as he knows I’m the boss.”

Heechul felt slightly wary at that last statement, but he let it go. He knew he’d have to keep a close eye on Jihoon and Mingyu’s relationship, but he’d been ready for that responsibility ever since he thought of adopting another hybrid. He just didn’t realize then that he’d also have to work out something between his bunnies. Heechul wondered, how did the hamsters ever become the “easiest” in the house to deal with? 

***

The rest of the evening passed without incident. Jihoon ate dinner with the rest of them, although he was silent through pretty much all of it, and Heechul managed to calm Minseok down enough to put the bunny down into a chair next to him instead of clinging onto Heechul like a barnacle. The little rabbit had still held onto the bottom of his owner’s shirt though as they ate and he had refused to eat anything on his own, wanting Heechul to feed him instead. It seemed a minor setback in the bunny’s recovery. Minseok had been slowly becoming more independent as time went by, but suddenly he seemed to have reverted back to his more helpless, child-like self, the way he had been when Heechul had first found him.

Even now the little bunny was curled up next to him as Heechul lay in bed. He hadn’t wanted to leave his owner’s side after dinner and had begged Heechul to let him sleep with him. It was a stark contrast to earlier in the week when Minseok had happily cuddled with Minhyuk every night after Heechul had tucked him in and given him a kiss goodnight.

Something must have happened with the bunnies. But Minkki apparently still didn’t want to talk about it. When Heechul had tried to ask him again, once they were alone in his room, Minseok had refused. 

“I don’t want to talk,” Minseok had said, “I just want to cuddle with Heechul appa. Is that okay?”

It was more than okay, but it still left Heechul feeling somewhat anxious. 

He stroked Minseok’s ears as the bunny slept peacefully next to him, the hybrid’s head resting on Heechul’s chest with one arm draped over his owner. Then he looked up as he heard the sound of his bedroom door opening. It was Minhyuk.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Minhyuk stammered, “I didn’t know this was where Minkki was…”

Why did he look embarrassed, Heechul wondered. As if he was stumbling upon two lovers in an embrace and not a parent and child, which was more what his and Minseok’s relationship was really like. (Even if he wished sometimes it could be more)

“It’s okay,” Heechul said, speaking quietly so as not to wake the sleeping rabbit on his chest, “You can come in too.”

Minhyuk seemed unsure of himself as he approached the bed. 

“I just…I didn’t want to sleep alone…” Minhyuk mumbled, “But if you’re sleeping with Minkki, that’s okay. I-I can just go…”

Really, why was he acting so weird? They’d never been like this before. The two of them had always been so happy together, along with Heechul.

“Minhyukie, what’s the matter?” Heechul asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen between you and Minseok?”

“No,” Minhyuk said quickly, although his reddening face seemed to give him away.

Heechul remembered something that Ilhoon had said when Heechul had been punishing them. He hadn’t paid it much mind then, but now he was starting to wonder.

“Did you and Minkki…do something…together?” Heechul asked, raising an eyebrow and Minhyuk’s face turned even redder.

“No!” Minhyuk protested, “I-it’s fine. I’ll just go sleep with the hamsters. Goodnight!”

And the rabbit quickly bolted from the room, not giving Heechul any chance to say anything more. Heechul sighed as he looked down at the sleeping bunny curled up next to him. He used to compare looking after them to looking after children. But maybe now they were entering the teenage phase. 

Oh, what had he gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: When I Grow Up - Seventeen


	9. Master Chef Mingyu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mingyu tries to fit in with his new family while Minhyuk is still acting weird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the least angsty chapter I've written so far. But don't worry, there's still plenty of fluff-angst storylines to get through in the future lol. It's just every time I think a certain chapter's going to have something in it the characters run away with my storyline and stretch things out. Like I've said before, this story really has a mind of its own sometimes. :3

Heechul opened his eyes slowly, blinking blearily as he registered the light peeking into his bedroom through a crack in the curtains. It must have been about time to get up if the room was this light, he figured. He stretched out fully in his bed, letting out a yawn as he reached over beside him. And he smiled as he felt the familiar warm body of a little bunny snuggled into the blankets next to him.

Minseok was still sleeping, one of his droopy ears half covering his face. Heechul gently pushed the ear out of the way, wanting to look at the rabbit’s face fully. Minseok let out a sleepy little sigh at his touch, but didn’t wake up and Heechul could feel his heart flutter at just how cute this hybrid was. He remembered how fitfully Minseok slept when he had first arrived, always waking up with a start at the slightest sound or movement and often bursting into tears from a nightmare or even just a particularly upsetting shadow in the room. But the bunny had grown to trust Heechul so much that now he slept next to him peacefully, his pretty face looking completely relaxed.

And oh he was so pretty, Heechul thought. He had such perfect, pale skin and such beautiful big brown eyes that would make anyone melt. If Minseok had been more calculating Heechul was sure he’d be able to rule the world with those eyes. He could get people to do whatever he wanted. But in reality the shy bunny was just too sweet and cute. He had those chubby cheeks that you just wanted to pinch and the most adorable smile Heechul had ever seen. He loved whenever Minseok laughed and showed off his smile fully. 

Heechul playfully poked at the rabbit’s cheek. Minseok’s nose crinkled up slightly, but still he didn’t wake up. Heechul’s gaze then fell on the rabbit’s lips. Those gorgeous lips on that pouty little mouth that Heechul had to resist the urge to kiss all the time whenever he was close to the bunny. Even now it was making his heart beat faster at the thought of it. Sure, he and Minseok had kissed many times, but just short, sweet ones. And many times Heechul had had to hold himself back from taking it just a bit further. He had to stop himself from pulling at the hybrid’s lower lip and slowly, languidly, pressing into his mouth with his tongue. He always wanted just a little bit more. And sometimes it was hard to be so close and yet so far. 

But just kissing, he reassured himself. He wasn’t one of those owners who just had sex with their hybrids. He didn’t want that from Minkki. He just wanted…

What?

Just…just a taste. That’s all. Just a little bit more.

You’re sick. Stop thinking things like that. He’s like your kid.

Heechul quickly looked away from the hybrid’s mouth and shook the thoughts from his head, instead petting the sleeping rabbit’s ears lovingly. Minseok stirred slightly and made a contented little noise, but still remained asleep. He was completely at ease here next to his owner, Heechul realized. And Heechul wanted to keep it that way. Minseok’s trust meant more to him than any kiss. 

He gave the little bunny a quick peck on the forehead, then rolled away from him. He really should get up and get breakfast ready for the others. Actually, he was surprised that he hadn’t already been visited by Minhyuk whining to be fed, but then the eldest hybrid had been acting kind of strange recently.

Heechul hopped up from the bed and left Minseok to his slumber as he walked out into the hallway. He moved slowly, still coming to his senses somewhat, as he made his way to the staircase. And that’s when he smelled it. There was the distinct smell of hot food coming from downstairs. In an instant Heechul was wide awake. He all but flew down the stairs, fully prepared to be greeted by another cloud of thick black smoke and a couple of panicked hybrids, just like last time.

But that was not the scene in the kitchen this morning. Heechul skidded to a halt as he noticed Minhyuk, Ilhoon and Soonyoung seated comfortably around the table, eating something off the plates set nicely in front of them. And there, standing at the stove that was miraculously and thankfully not on fire, was Mingyu. 

“What? What are you doing? Why are you in the kitchen? Why are you using the stove?!” Heechul asked him as he hurried over, his brain still not quite comprehending the situation as he let out a flood of rapid-fire questions.

Mingyu seemed slightly startled by his owner’s panic and held up his hand defensively. 

“I-I just wanted to make everyone breakfast,” he stuttered, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

He was such a big hybrid, but yet he was practically cowering before his owner. The dog’s submissive posture made Heechul quickly calm down. Alright, there were no fires. And no mess either for that matter. And the other hybrids were all safe. Okay, he needed to compose himself and speak to Mingyu nicely. 

The poor puppy was pouting as he clutched his spatula to his chest, his tail hanging still behind him.

“It’s okay,” Heechul told him, “I was just worried you might hurt yourself. You’re okay, right?”

“Yeah…”

Mingyu still seemed unsure of the situation as he cautiously stole a glance at his new owner, but the other hybrids quickly came to his defense.

“Mingyu made us omelets,” Minhyuk said, “They were really good.”

“I didn’t know you ate eggs…” Heechul replied.

“Mine had a smiley face on it!” Soonyoung chirped, then he turned to Mingyu, “Heenim never puts faces on our food.”

“I didn’t know you wanted any…” Heechul mumbled, slightly defensive now.

“Mine had a sun on it,” Ilhoon pointed out, “Oh and he made us orange juice from a real orange, not from the carton! It’s so good.”

“I-I can make juice like that too,” Heechul replied lamely, feeling like he was now competing with a two year old puppy for his hybrids’ praise.

“You should try some!” Soonyoung suggested, holding out his cup and waving it at Heechul and slopping orange juice onto the floor.

“Maybe later,” Heechul told him as he waved the cup away.

“I’m really sorry,” Mingyu said, as he looked down at the floor, “I just wanted to do something nice for everybody. I didn’t mean to make you mad, I promise. I’m a good puppy, really.”

Heechul thought of how the poor hybrid had already been brought back once by his last family. Mingyu must have thought he needed to try really hard to impress his new “family” so he wouldn’t be sent back again. Heechul reached up to pat the giant hybrid on the head.

“It’s okay. I’m not mad. I really was just concerned for everyone’s safety.” He looked over at the hamsters. “Did they tell you what happened the last time they tried to cook by themselves?”

Mingyu shook his head.

“There was a bit of a fire…” Ilhoon said, trying to downplay it coolly.

“There were flames all over the stove!” Soonyoung added dramatically, “And I burned my hand. But I didn’t cry! Right, Heenim?”

“You cried so much in our room later,” Ilhoon pointed out.

“Not because of my hand!” Soonyoung argued, “I was sad because Heenim was mad at us and because the kitchen got ruined.”

“Yeah, Heenim had to get everything re-done,” Ilhoon told Mingyu, “It smelled like smoke forever.”

“Well that about sums it up,” Heechul mused, “So now you can see why I’m a bit wary of hybrids using the kitchen.”

“I’m sorry,” Mingyu mumbled, “I’ll just clean everything up. And I won’t cook again.”

Heechul looked over at the stove. The puppy still seemed to be in the middle of making something and he had to admit, it did smell good. The hybrid had already made three omelets alone without any problems. What would a few more hurt?

“No, you can finish,” Heechul said, “I’d like to try one of your omelets. And Minkki and Jihoon still need breakfast too when they get up.”

Mingyu smiled, showing off his adorable little fangs as his tail wagged behind him, thumping into the counter loudly. Obviously he was quite excited to continue cooking. Heechul sat down at the table next to Soonyoung, ruffling up the cheeky little hamster’s hair.

“So…why didn’t any of you wake me up for breakfast?” Heechul asked.

“We were going to,” Soonyoung told him, “But Minhyuk said you were busy.”

“Busy with what?” Heechul asked, perplexed.

The only thing he had been doing was sleeping. Why would the rabbit think he was busy?

“Yeah, he said you were probably doing something with Minkki so we shouldn’t disturb you,” Ilhoon elaborated.

Minhyuk made a sputtering noise as he choked on his orange juice. He coughed a few times as the hamsters looked at him, concerned.

“I-I’m fine,” he assured them, although his pink cheeks seemed to be betraying him.

Heechul raised an eyebrow at the rabbit’s reaction. The hamsters seemed to be oblivious for the most part, but Heechul had caught the meaning behind Minhyuk’s words. Is that really what he thought they were doing? Did Minhyuk think he was having sex with Minseok? Was that why he didn’t want to sleep with them last night? Of course Heechul couldn’t ask these questions now. It wasn’t exactly breakfast table material and especially with a new hybrid in the house.

As if on cue, there came Minkki down the stairs, rubbing at his eyes sleepily. He looked so adorable in his pajamas that were slightly too large for him. He was the smallest hybrid after Jihoon, his head just coming up to Heechul’s shoulder, and he was also more slightly built than the cat hybrid. Jihoon never wore such cute pajamas and preferred to sleep in a t-shirt and sweats. So the role of “baby” in their family was definitely Minkki’s.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Mingyu said, “I can make you an omelet too, if you want. What do you like in yours? Peppers? Mushrooms?”

He smiled as he indicated to the chopped up veggies sitting already prepared on the counter. But even though Mingyu was being as friendly as could be Minseok was still startled by the giant dog. The bunny made a little noise and quickly scurried behind Minhyuk, holding onto the other rabbit. Minhyuk squirmed as Minseok’s arms wrapped around him.

“It’s fine, it’s just Mingyu,” Minhyuk said, sounding slightly irritated as he kept trying to pry Minseok’s hands from him.

“Yeah, you ate with him last night,” Ilhoon said, his voice much more gentle than Minhyuk’s, “Remember? He’s not scary. He’s a nice puppy.”

“You’re fine, you don’t need me,” Minhyuk told him, sounding definitely annoyed now.

“It’s okay,” Soonyoung added, “Mingyu’s a really good cook. He’ll make you something delicious!”

“Just…stop it…Minseok…stop….” Minhyuk was trying to get out.

He was pushing at Minseok more forcefully now as he tried to break free of the other bunny’s grasp.

“Minhyuk-ah…” Minseok whined.

“Just…let go of me!” Minhyuk exploded in anger and he finally succeeded in shoving Minseok away from him.

Minseok fell back onto the floor with a little cry. He looked up at Minhyuk in shock, his eyes now showing the betrayal he felt along with his fear. Everyone in the kitchen was silent. Heechul himself didn’t know what to say. He’d never seen Minhyuk respond that way to, well, anybody, let alone Minkki. In the year that Minseok had been with them Minhyuk had always been so nice and brotherly towards him. 

Minhyuk looked around the room, taking in their disapproving faces. Then he looked down at the younger rabbit who was still whimpering on the floor.

“Minkki…I’m sorry…” he said quietly. He reached out to help the other hybrid up, but Minseok quickly moved away from him and over to Ilhoon instead. “I…I’m so sorry,” Minhyuk whispered.

No one said anything, the atmosphere suddenly growing tense and uncomfortable. And of course that was the moment Jihoon took to walk into the kitchen. The cat could sense the difference right away as his ears pricked up.

“Okay, what’s happening now?” he asked, exasperated, “I get up early for once and everyone’s all weird…”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Ilhoon replied, “Minhyuk was just being an asshole for no reason.”

“Maybe he’s on his period…” Soonyoung suggested.

“That…doesn’t even make sense…” Heechul said, shaking his head at the silly little hamster, “And how do you even know about periods, anyway?”

“They’re always saying it in movies,” Soonyoung replied, “When people get angry, someone says ‘Oh she must be on her period’.”

“Yes, but that only applies to girls. Human girls,” Heechul explained, “Hybrids don’t…you know what? I’m not talking about this at breakfast. Just finish your omelet.” 

Heechul really did not want to have a human sexuality discussion right now. But at least Soonyoung’s comment had lightened the mood somewhat. Jihoon just shrugged and pulled up a chair at the table, waiting patiently to be served. Minhyuk had sat back down and was chewing on his shirtsleeve as he stared at the table in front of him, ashamed. And Ilhoon was holding onto Minseok, petting the other bunny’s ears as he offered him some of his leftover food. 

“Do you want to try some, Minkki?” he asked, his voice soft, as if he was talking to a child, “It’s really good.”

Heechul always found it endearing the way Ilhoon treated Minseok. It was definitely a contrast to the way he treated Soonyoung. Unlike the bunnies, the hamsters both slept in separate beds, preferring their own space. Heechul rarely saw them cuddling together and instead most of their affection seemed to involve wrestling or chasing each other around. As well as being older Ilhoon was also slightly bigger and stronger than Soonyoung and seemed to be the “leader” of the pair. He had no problem exerting his dominance over the younger hamster or telling him exactly what was on his mind, even if it led to hurt feelings. On his own Ilhoon was a bit of a mischievous smart-aleck. But all that changed whenever he was with Minseok. Suddenly he was like a doting parent, always reassuring the bunny and patting him affectionately. He even didn’t mind the occasional hug or kiss from the younger hybrid, something that he definitely did not like from any of the others.

Heechul wasn’t sure if it was just Ilhoon’s personality or perhaps it was because of his trauma that the hamster shied away from most skinship. Heechul had learned early on that Ilhoon rarely liked being hugged or cuddled and preferred to have his ears scratched or cheek stroked instead. Once Minhyuk had surprised the hamster with a back hug and Ilhoon had flipped out, almost starting a fight with the other more affectionate hybrid. 

But there was something different about Minseok that made Ilhoon tolerate much more touching than usual. It was probably because the other hybrid was so small and helpless that it put the hamster at ease. Ilhoon didn’t have to worry about Minseok doing anything to him. And just like that, what was at first endearing to Heechul now made him sad. Once again he found himself wondering if one of his hybrids might have been different if he had only found them sooner.

He reached over and pet Soonyoung’s ears, trying to distract himself. The hamster grinned and held out his cup of juice again.

“Heenim, you should really try it. It’s good!”

This time Heechul took the cup and drank a little from it. Soonyoung wasn’t lying. The orange juice did taste really good. And now Mingyu was setting a delicious looking omelet down in front of him. The puppy had even garnished it with a heart drawn in ketchup. Heechul smiled. It was like being in a maid café in Japan again. He wondered if Mingyu would also cast a “magic spell” before he ate, like the cutesy little Japanese girls at the café would do for their customers. But instead the puppy just stared at him expectantly, his tail wagging slightly.

“Wow, this looks amazing,” Heechul told him, “Thank you so much.”

He took a bite and immediately made a noise of approval. The omelet was cooked perfectly and the filling was a great blend of flavours. Heechul gave Mingyu a thumbs up, his mouth being too full to talk, and the hybrid’s tail began to wag faster.

“Mingyu, this is delicious,” Heechul said, “Where did you learn to cook like this? These ones here can’t even boil water without setting the kitchen on fire.”

“My last mother taught me,” Mingyu replied, beaming, “She said I had a...a…” He paused, thinking of the right words, then finished with, “…natural talent!”

“You definitely do,” Heechul went on, “I think I need to change the house rules now. No one is allowed to cook, except for Mingyu.”

“Oh thank you,” Mingyu said, his tail now moving back and forth at almost warp speed, “I really like it. And I can cook you breakfast everyday if you want. And dinner too!”

“Perfect,” Heechul replied through a mouthful of omelet and he gave the hybrid another thumbs up.

“So I just need to make two more now, right? For…for…the cat…” Mingyu said, struggling to remember Jihoon’s name, “And Min…min….”

“Minseok,” the bunny said quietly and Heechul was so startled to hear him actually speaking to the new hybrid.

“Right,” Mingyu replied, smiling that cute little fanged smile of his, “Do you know what kind of filling you want, Minseok?”

“Peppers. And spinach. And onions,” Minseok replied, his voice so tiny, but resolute at the same time. 

So maybe he hadn’t fallen behind in his recovery after all. It had taken him weeks before he spoke to Jihoon when the cat first arrived, but now he was talking to Mingyu only a day after the hybrid had been introduced.

“And you…kitty-ssi?” Mingyu asked as he turned to Jihoon.

“My name is Jihoon,” the cat replied brusquely, “And I don’t want an omelet. I want grilled fish like Heenim makes.”

“Oh okay,” Mingyu replied, unfazed, “I can make that for you!”

“We’ll see…” Jihoon muttered.

The dog hybrid hadn’t heard what he said as he happily went back to cooking and Heechul shot Jihoon a warning look. He knew the cat was still unhappy about Mingyu turning out to be a dog rather than a cat, but that didn’t mean he had to be a jerk to him.

“Can I be excused?” Minhyuk asked, “I’m finished eating and I think I’m going to take a walk around the neighbourhood. Is that okay?”

“Sure,” Heechul said, looking at him somewhat questioningly. He wanted to know what was up with the bunny, but he just didn’t have the time to ask him. There always seemed to be so much to do and so many others around. Heechul knew he couldn’t ask Minhyuk anything with the other hybrids there. So the best choice at the moment seemed to be letting the rabbit do what he wanted. “Just take the phone,” Heechul told him, “And don’t forget your ID.”

It was true that all hybrids had an ear tattoo with their registration number, but they could also get ID cards for better convenience. If Minhyuk was spotted by the hybrid police it was a much easier and more comfortable process to hand them his ID than to have them poking around his ears. All of Heechul’s hybrids had ID cards, except for Jihoon. He was still unregistered since Heechul didn’t want to alert the research lab of the cat’s presence. Because of that, Jihoon, just like Minseok, had never been outside except for the back garden. 

“I won’t forget it,” Minhyuk assured his owner before hurrying off to get his coat.

Heechul watched him go longingly. 

What’s eating you up, little Minhyukie, he wondered. I wish you would just tell me.

***

It was turning out to be a beautiful day.

Even though it was just barely spring the sun was shining brightly, making the air outside slightly warmer than usual. Which was why Heechul was now sitting on the back patio, reading a book, while the hybrids played in the yard in front of him. The hamsters were running around, playing some kind of capture the flag game while Minseok was digging in the garden, looking for any fruits or veggies coming up yet. And Jihoon seemed to be somewhat drifting between the two, showing only mild interest in either activity. Minhyuk was still out, but Heechul wasn’t worried. The hybrids were allowed to buy snacks at the nearby convenience store and go to the park on their own as long as they texted Heechul every half hour. Minhyuk had dutifully sent him the texts, so as long as the rabbit came home by the dinner curfew everything would be fine. He knew there were some owners who gave their hybrids a little more freedom than that, letting them go out freely in the day or night, but Heechul didn’t want to risk it. He’d seen far too much of the ugly side of human nature for his liking. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his hybrids. It was that he didn’t really trust other humans at this point.

“Um…Heenim…” Mingyu started. The puppy approached his new owner, looking unsure of himself as he twisted his apron in his hands “What do you want me to do now?” 

“Oh, the kitchen’s all cleaned up?” Heechul asked, “Well you can go play then.”

Mingyu looked over at the others running around the yard. 

“Okay. But then what do you want me to do? I don’t know where the bathroom cleaning stuff is. And you didn’t tell me which day was laundry day.”

“Huh? Mingyu, you don’t have to clean the bathroom or do the laundry. I do that. You can just go play.”

But the puppy didn’t move. Instead his eyes focused on Minseok who was still prodding the tiny leaves sprouting in the garden, not ready to give up his quest for carrots or strawberries.

“Did you want me to do some gardening?” Mingyu asked, “Or is that Minseok’s job?”

“It’s not his job,” Heechul said, chuckling, “He’s just too impatient for this season’s stuff. Nobody has a real ‘job’ here, Mingyu. You can just relax and have fun.”

“No jobs?” Mingyu asked, “You mean there’s no chores?”

The dog hybrid looked like he didn’t believe him. As if playing in the back yard with the others was some kind of trap. Heechul could feel that uneasiness growing inside of him, the same he always felt when he learned something new about his hybrid’s pasts.

“When you were with your last family, what jobs did you have to do?” he asked Mingyu gently, almost afraid of what the answer might be.

“I made everyone breakfast, just like this morning,” Mingyu replied, “Then I got the kids dressed and washed up and made sure they caught the school bus. Then I did the dusting and vacuuming and cleaned the bathrooms. Then some days there was laundry. Then I’d pick up the kids from the bus stop and get them snacks. Then I’d make dinner for everyone and make sure the kitchen was all clean after. Then I’d make the lunchboxes for the next day. Two for the kids, one for mom and a big one for dad. Oh and sometimes I’d have to help mom stick envelopes or give dad a foot massage. But only sometimes.”

Heechul was appalled. Alright, so it wasn’t as bad as what some of the other hybrids had gone through, but it still wasn’t that great. Mingyu hadn’t been living as a pet. He’d been living as a maid and nanny. No wonder he was so good at cooking.

“Well you don’t have to do any of that anymore,” Heechul said, “You don’t have to clean or cook. You can just do what you want to.”

“But I like to cook,” Mingyu whined and Heechul felt his heart give a little flutter.

The puppy was so adorable when he pouted. Heechul knew that would probably spell trouble for him if Mingyu ever figured out what a pushover he was for cute, pouty faces.

“Well if you like to cook, then you can cook,” Heechul assured him, “But you don’t have to do any cleaning or laundry if you don’t want to. You’re not a slave, you’re just my hybrid. And I just want you to be happy.

“Really?”

He didn’t seem convinced. And Heechul was starting to think he was the only nice owner left in the world the way all these hybrids reacted to just the smallest bit of basic kindness.

“Of course. You don’t have to ‘earn to keep’, if that’s what you think. Or if that’s what somebody else made you think. You don’t need to worry anymore, I would never send you away like your last owners did. You’re a part of our family now, no matter what.”

Mingyu’s expression changed from doubt to a happy smile and his tail began to wag at those last words. He bent down and threw himself onto Heechul, excitedly kissing the side of his owner’s face.

“Thank you thank you thank you,” he said, “You’re the best owner ever!”

Heechul just laughed as he let himself be lovingly attacked by the grateful puppy. Soon after Soonyoung and Ilhoon came over, out of breath from their game of tag.

“Hey! I want to hug Heenim too!” Soonyoung exclaimed and he threw himself on top of the pair.

Ilhoon stayed back on the grass, not wanting to join in the cuddlefest. 

“Mingyu, do you want to play soccer with us?” he asked, “You and Jihoon can be a team against me and Soonyoung.”

Soonyoung stopped smushing his cheek against Heechul’s and lifted up his head to look at Mingyu.

“Yeah, you should play with us!” he exclaimed, petting the dog on the head, “I bet you’re really good at sports too, just like cooking!”

“Actually I’ve never played soccer,” Mingyu admitted, “I was always too busy. Can you teach me?”

“Sure! It’s easy!”

And the two of them disentangled themselves from Heechul and went off to go play. 

“Minkki, will you be the referee?” Ilhoon called out and the little bunny poked his head up from the garden.

“Okay,” he agreed hesitantly, “As long as no one gets mad at me…”

“Don’t worry, you can just give them a red card if they’re being jerks,” Ilhoon joked.

“No one’s going to be a jerk!” Heechul called out, “Everyone play nice!”

He brought his book back up, but he only pretended to read as he watched the hybrids on the lawn. Everything appeared to be going fine for the most part. The hamsters went over the basics with Mingyu before starting their game. Minseok was watching intently from the side of the garden, taking his job of referee rather seriously as he kept track of the score in the dirt. It seemed to be a pretty one-sided game, Heechul noted as despite Jihoon’s best efforts the two energetic hamsters were scoring easily against him and Mingyu. Heechul wasn’t sure if it was the puppy’s size or young age that made him so awkward running around. He fumbled the ball numerous times and seemed to trip over his own feet. It was endearing to Heechul, how clumsy this giant hybrid was, but he knew not everyone might feel the same way.

He felt a vibration in his pocket and pulled out his phone. Minhyuk had just texted that he would be back home soon. Heechul hoped the walk had cleared his head. And he would try and find some time to spend with the rabbit, if he could. 

“Good,” Heechul texted back, “See you soon, Minhyukie. Love you. <3”

He looked up from his phone as a cry of triumph erupted from the lawn. He could see the hamsters celebrating their victory as Mingyu lay on the ground, defeated. Jihoon was scowling as he stood over the downed puppy.

“You idiot,” he said, “You scored on our own goal.”

“Sorry…” Mingyu mumbled.

“We won we won we won…” Soonyoung and Ilhoon were chanting as they danced around Jihoon, being the epitome of annoying little rodents.

“You only won because my teammate is a moron,” Jihoon told them, “He can’t even kick the ball without falling over. Next rematch I want Minhyuk as my partner, then we’ll see who’s cheering.”

“Jihoon-ssi, I’m sorry…” Mingyu said again as he picked himself up, now towering over the cat as he stood.

“Whatever…” Jihoon mumbled.

“Hey!” Heechul called out, “What did I say about playing nice?”

“I don’t want to play anymore,” Jihoon told him, “It’s not fun when it’s two against one.”

He walked back into the house, leaving Mingyu sulking on the lawn. The hamsters seemed oblivious to the sad puppy as they chased each other around again, yelling “red card!” and smacking each other. Heechul was about to get up to comfort the hybrid, but Minseok actually beat him to it. Heechul couldn’t believe it as the little bunny approached the massive dog slowly and gave him a tentative pat.

“It’s okay, doggy,” he said, “You’re not a moron…”

Mingyu’s tail started to wag at the other hybrid’s touch. Minseok gave a little jump as he was startled by the sudden movement, but quickly composed himself.

Heechul stayed in his chair, watching the pair of them as his heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest. It was just too much, it was just so cute. And he was so proud of Minseok. The rabbit must really be on the right path if he was the one to take care of a younger hybrid. Maybe his house wasn’t so crazy after all. Sure, things may have still been touch and go with Jihoon and Minhyuk at the moment, but at least Mingyu and Minseok were alright.

Yeah, they were all alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Always - Apink


	10. One and Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heechul enjoys a nice outing with Mingyu and the hamsters while Minhyuk reaches his boiling point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know now pretty much how the story is going to go and end etc, but I have no idea how many chapters it will take and/or if any other subplots might pop up and make it longer. So I have a plan to where this is headed, but who knows how I will get there! That's just my writing style, so strap in! ;)

Heechul peered into the near empty fridge. There was no doubt, having a dog hybrid in the house, especially one as big as Mingyu, meant food disappeared twice as fast. The bunnies and hamsters never ate very much and Jihoon preferred mostly fish, which wasn’t too bad, but Mingyu needed meat (and lots of it) which was something Heechul wasn’t so accustomed to. Looks like they’d have to make a trip to the supermarket today.

At least they’d been eating better since Mingyu had come along. Heechul had never been much of a cook himself and usually made pretty simple meals for his hybrids, but with Mingyu in the kitchen now Heechul was trying things he’d only ever seen on TV or had in restaurants. And he figured the money they would save on not getting take-out anymore would more than make up for any added costs to feed the puppy.

Heechul shut the fridge and looked into the living room. Mingyu was lying on the floor on his stomach with Soonyoung lying on top of his back. The hamster was idly playing with the dog hybrid’s fuzzy black ears while they watched TV. Heechul could see just the tip of Mingyu’s tail lazily wagging as the rest of it was squashed beneath the little hamster on top of him. 

He was glad Mingyu was fitting in so well. He knew he’d made the right choice getting a dog over the other cats at the adoption center. Even if he was a giant, Mingyu’s personality was well suited to sharing a space with so many other small hybrids. 

Heechul looked over at the others. Jihoon was curled up in the armchair, playing a game on the tablet. The way Jihoon’s eyes followed the shapes on the screen and the quick motions he used to tap matches were so adorably cat-like that Heechul couldn’t help but smile. He could almost see the hybrid with fluffy paws instead of hands. 

Then there was Ilhoon and Minseok together on the couch. Minseok was laying back against the hamster, eating strawberries, as he paid close attention to the gameshow on TV. Ilhoon’s arms were wrapped around the little bunny, patting his stomach distractedly. At the next question Ilhoon was quick to yell out the answer before the contestant on the show and Minseok whined that the hamster wasn’t letting him have a chance. Ilhoon’s reponse was to give a scratch at the ticklish spot on Minseok’s ear, making the bunny squirm and spill several strawberries onto his lap.

As the next question popped up on the screen Heechul laughed when Minkki silenced the noisy hamster by shoving a strawberry in his mouth.

“Be quiet,” Minseok told him, both sternly and cutely.

“If it means I get more food, then sure,” Ilhoon replied, munching happily.

The two of them seemed to be even closer than before, Heechul noted, ever since Minhyuk had shoved Minseok away that morning. Heechul had tried to talk to Minhyuk about it later that day, but felt like he didn’t get the whole truth out of the oldest rabbit.

“I’m sorry, I was just overwhelmed with the new hybrid in the house,” Minhyuk had said, “It’s just a bit noisier and more crowded now and I was feeling a little bit stressed. But I’m fine now. It was good to get out of the house and go for a walk.”

“Are you sure?” Heechul had asked, “It just seems like things are kind of…strained between you and Minseok.”

“I’m really sorry I pushed Minseok,” Minhyuk said sincerely, “But I didn’t mean to. I wasn’t mad at him, I was just stressed out, like I said.”

But Heechul could tell he was holding something back. And this time he wasn’t going to let him off so easy.

“Minhyuk…” Heechul said gently, “What happened while I was away overnight? With the wine. I know something happened then.”

Minhyuk looked away from him, playing with the corner of the bedspread. 

“We were drunk…” the bunny mumbled, “And I don’t really remember. It’s all kind of fuzzy. But, I think…I think we did some…stuff.”

“Stuff? Like…sex?”

“Maybe…” Minhyuk said, his voice tiny, “But not like real sex, just…you know…”

He hadn’t been able to look at his owner as he continued to flip the bedspread back and forth and Heechul could see the bunny’s face turning red, something that always seemed to happen to Minhyuk when he was embarrassed. 

“Alright,” Heechul said, “So, you and Minkki did some…sexual things when you were drunk and now that you’re sober it’s awkward between you two? Is that right?”

Minhyuk just nodded, his normally perky ears now drooping slightly. Heechul sighed in relief. He had been worried that there was something much worse going on, some kind of horrible trauma that he hadn’t been aware of. But it was just the same kind of things that humans went through, regretting a drunken one-night stand, so to speak.

“Are you mad?” Minhyuk asked quietly.

“No,” Heechul said, almost immediately, then he thought about it, “Unless you did something Minseok didn’t want to. You both wanted to do it, right?”

“Yes!” Minhyuk said quickly, “I mean, I think so. I’m pretty sure…”

“You didn’t force Minseok to do anything?”

Minhyuk looked at him suddenly.

“Of course not! I would never do that to Minkki! H-he’s the one who kissed me first!”

Heechul wasn’t sure how that made him feel. Of course he wasn’t mad at Minhyuk, but maybe, just maybe, a small part of him was jealous? He remembered how upset Minkki had been when he had gotten aroused sitting on Heechul’s lap. Minseok had said he didn’t want to do “those things” with Heechul. So did that mean he wanted to do them with Minhyuk? Well, looks like he had already.

“It’s okay,” Heechul said, “I believe you, Minhyuk. But now do you see why alcohol is a bad idea?”

“Don’t worry,” Minhyuk had said, “I’m never drinking ever again. It caused too much trouble. Really.”

Heechul had reassured the bunny that he and Minseok would be just fine soon enough. But still, there seemed to be a bit of a rift between them. Now Minseok was spending more time with Ilhoon. And Minhyuk… 

Heechul wasn’t sure what Minhyuk was doing. The rabbit had disappeared back upstairs after breakfast this morning and was still there now. Heechul hoped the two bunnies could work things out soon. He hated to see Minhyuk so melancholy all the time. The rabbit just didn’t seem to be himself anymore and it was worrying to Heechul. 

The sound of applause filled the living room as the gameshow ended. 

“See, I’m way smarter than those dumb humans on the show,” Ilhoon boasted.

“I liked Seongmi,” Minseok replied, “I wanted her to win…”

“Hey! Everyone!” Heechul called out and the hybrids immediately looked up, “I need to go to the supermarket for a bit since we’re almost completely out of food. Mingyu, would you come with me? I think you’d know better what to get since you’re the one cooking it.”

Mingyu stood up immediately, dumping Soonyoung off his back, his tail wagging back and forth. 

“Sure!” the puppy replied, “I know exactly what we need!”

“Aww, I wanna go too!” Soonyoung whined, “Can I come too, Heenim? I haven’t gone out in ages.”

“Alright,” Heechul agreed, “But no sneaking things into the cart when I’m not looking. I’m not making the poor cashier put back mountains of junk food once we get to the till.”

“Can I come too?” Ilhoon asked, “I want to get some walnut bread from Park-ssi. I haven’t seen him in a long time and he always gives us treats.”

Heechul sighed. He was sure going out with three hybrids, especially when two of them were hamsters, was going to be an ordeal. But how could he say no to Ilhoon and Soonyoung’s cute little chubby-cheeked smiles as they begged him adorably?

“Fine,” he gave in, “Just behave yourseves, okay? If you two cause trouble I’m not letting you go out for an entire month.”

“We’ll be good,” Soonyoung said, grinning.

“Yeah, we’ll be on our best behaviour ever,” Ilhoon agreed as he got up off the couch, leaving Minseok sitting alone.

The little bunny was pouting.

“You’re all going out without me?” he asked.

“Not everyone,” Heechul reassured him, “Minhyuk and Jihoon will be here. And we won’t be gone very long. We’ll be back before it’s lunch time.”

Minseok didn’t seem entirely convinced with this plan, but at least he wasn’t crying. Heechul figured the idea of spending the rest of the morning with Minhyuk probably didn’t sound too appealing to Minkki, given how strained the bunnies’ relationship was at the moment.

“We’ll bring you back some walnut bread,” Ilhoon told him.

“And watermelon!” Soonyoung exclaimed.

Minseok seemed to brighten up at that. The little bunny could never resist sweet fruits and watermelon was one of his favourites.

“Okay. Bring back a big one” Minseok told them, “With lots of stripes.”

Heechul smiled. He would bring back the best watermelon for his cute little Minkki.

“We’ll be back soon,” Heechul said, “And then we can have watermelon with our lunch.”

He bent down and kissed the top of the little lop’s head. But as he went to stand back up, Minseok wrapped his arms around Heechul’s neck and pulled him down for a hug. The bunny rubbed his nose against his owner’s and Heechul felt like his heart was doing backflips. How was it possible for one person to be so cute, he wondered? What was Minseok’s power, that he could make Heechul want to protect him forever with just a little bunny kiss?

“Be good while we’re gone,” Heechul said softly, smiling at the hybrid, and Minseok nodded.

Of course he would be. Heechul never had to worry about that.

Minseok continued to watch TV as Jihoon played his game and the others gathered their coats and shoes. Heechul didn’t even notice Minhyuk come down the stairs until the rabbit spoke.

“Where’s everyone going?” he asked, watching the crowd of hybrids putting on their shoes.

“We’re going shopping!” Soonyoung exclaimed brightly.

Minhyuk frowned.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” 

“We’re just going out to the store and back,” Heechul said, “I figured you were busy upstairs and we’d be back soon. It’s just a little grocery shopping, nothing special.”

“But…what if I wanted to come too?” Minhyuk asked quietly.

Heechul patted the rabbit on the head, stroking his ears.

“I’m sorry,” Heechul said, “I need you to stay here and look after Minkki. It was just supposed to be me and Mingyu, but then the hamsters asked if they could come along. They asked me first and I…I’m sorry Minhyukie. Next time I’ll take you out, just you and me.”

He leaned down to give the disheartened bunny a kiss. Minhyuk let himself be kissed, but didn’t give anything back. And Heechul felt like the world’s worst owner. He had hoped Minhyuk would have been preoccupied with whatever he was doing upstairs and that they would be back before he even noticed. By then they would have had food and treats and the rabbit would have been less disappointed about not getting to go. But now he had to face the disappointment head on. 

“It’s okay,” Minhyuk mumbled, “I guess it’s only fair since they asked first…”

“I’ll make it really special next time, just the two of us,” Heechul told him, “I promise.”

“We’ll bring you back walnut bread and watermelon,” Soonyoung offered, seeming contrite for once.

Minhyuk smiled at him.

“Thanks,” he said and Soonyoung smiled back cheerfully.

But Heechul saw how quickly Minhyuk’s smile faded again as the rabbit turned away. Minhyuk went to walk away, but Heechul stopped him, putting his arm around the bunny and pulling him to his chest.

“Minhyukie, you know how much I love you, right?” he whispered. Then he turned the rabbit around to face him, taking Minhyuk’s face in his hands. “You know it, right?”

He stroked the rabbit’s cheek, gazing into his eyes, and he saw Minhyuk swallow hard. The bunny leaned forward slightly, wanting a kiss, but Heechul held back. He knew it was cruel to do, but it was necessary. He had to leave Minhyuk wanting more. He needed the hybrid to focus on his owner’s return and the promise of more kisses rather than the fact that he was being left behind.

“I’ll be good,” Minhyuk breathed, Heechul’s spell having worked its magic on him.

Heechul gave him one last pat on the head, ruffling his hair, before grabbing his coat.

“I know you will be.”

***

The supermarket thankfully wasn’t very crowded that day. Heechul was grateful for that much at least. He’d had to remind the hamsters several times already on their walk over to make sure cars were fully stopped before they ran across the street. They were just so excited to be going on an outing. It was times like these that they really were like their species.

Hamsters were kind of a strange hybrid. Most of the time they didn’t really seem to take after the animal they’d been spliced with, acting more like puppies than rodents. They were the only hybrid without a tail and their only species marker was their ears, so most of the time people had no idea what they were and their actions didn’t really make it any clearer. Heechul knew animal hamsters were solitary and would often become violent to another hamster in their territory, but most hamster hybrids preferred to have a “sibling” with them and were perfectly friendly to others. Animal hamsters also chewed things all the time to keep their teeth short, but hamster hybrids rarely exhibited that behaviour. Instead it was bunnies who were the master chewers. And neither Soonyoung nor Ilhoon slept much during the day, even though animal hamsters were nocturnal. 

Then again some things those two did were incredibly hamster-like. Though they didn’t stuff their cheeks full, they still had a bit of a food hoarding tendency. Whenever Heechul cleaned out their room, he would always find snacks stashed away in different places, something that the bunnies and Jihoon never seemed to do. And they definitely matched the boundless energy of a hamster running in its wheel, like they were doing at the moment, excitedly running ahead and playing their own game of tag with each other. 

“Alright, no running in the store. Please,” Heechul told them as he grabbed a shopping cart.

As he turned the cart around he nearly tripped over Mingyu who was standing directly behind him. The puppy hadn’t been quite as free spirited as the hamsters on the way over and had preferred to walk next to Heechul, holding onto his owner’s hand. Now he continued to stick close.

“Can we get these?” Soonyoung asked, immediately holding up a large bag of candy he had somehow managed to find in the 0.2 seconds they’d been in the store.

“No,” Heechul said, waving him away, “If you want something sweet at least get something that’s real food, not just sugar.”

Soonyoung grumbled and went to put the bag back.

“These?” Ilhoon asked, holding up a bag of shelled sunflower seeds.

“Absolutely not,” Heechul said, “I’m still finding shells all over the house from last time. It’s disgusting.”

Ilhoon pouted as he chucked the bag back onto the shelf.

“Mingyu, what do you want to get?” Heechul asked the puppy.

“Well…we need some more radishes,” Mingyu said thoughtfully, “And cabbage. And maybe some chili pepper. I mean, if we want to make fresh kimchi…”

“Alright, let’s head to the vegetable section,” Heechul said, guiding the dog hybrid along.

He noticed Mingyu was rubbing at his neck as he looked around the store somewhat nervously. And he was standing so closely to Heechul that he kept bumping into his owner as they walked along. Heechul knew Mingyu felt as though he was missing something.

“Don’t worry, it should get here soon,” Heechul told him, “I ordered it express.”

“Huh?”

“Your collar,” Heechul said, smiling, as he patted the hybrid on the back, “I know that’s what you’re thinking about.”

“I just feel better with one…” Mingyu replied distractedly, “I feel like a stray without it. Like I’m not supposed to be out or something…”

“It’s okay, you still have your ID card. And your tattoo. Both of those say that I’m your owner.”

“Yeah, but no one can see that,” Mingyu replied, “I like having something people can see.”

If only all his hybrids felt that way, Heechul thought. He’d never given them collars before because it seemed a little too strong of a gesture in his opinion. And none of them had ever asked him for one, probably because they were mostly rodents, a species that typically never wore collars. (And he knew there was no way Jihoon would ever wear one) But he would be lying if he said he never imagined them wearing one sometimes. Mostly Minseok. Pretty little Minseok. Minseok that he wanted to-

“Augh!” 

Heechul cried out as a giant frozen fish was suddenly thrust in front of his face.

“Can we bring this home?” Soonyoung asked, “He’s cool!”

“Ugh, no!” Heechul replied, “Put that thing back.”

“But we can feed him to Jihoon,” Ilhoon argued, “Look how big he is! Kitty will think it’s New Year’s!”

He grabbed onto the tail and moved it back and forth, as if that would somehow entice Heechul into buying it instead of just disgusting him.

“And how am I supposed to cook that thing?” Heechul asked, grimacing, “No, just go find the small mackerel he likes.”

“We never get to buy fun stuff…” Soonyoung pouted as he carried the enormous fish back to the freezer section.

Heechul sighed as he turned back to Mingyu. The puppy was carefully putting onions into a bag. Well at least one of his hybrids was actually helpful. But then Mingyu picked up an onion that was too close to the edge, causing several others to roll off and onto the ground. The puppy whimpered as he watched the vegetables tumbling to the floor and quickly tried to gather them up. In his haste he didn’t think about his tail, which whacked into the stack of onions and caused even more to fall. Now the poor puppy was chasing onions all over the place, looking more and more distressed.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Heechul told him, “I’ll get them.”

He bent down to help as an older woman in a smock hurried over.

“Kim-ssi!” she exclaimed, “Oh here, let me get that.”

She quickly rounded up the escaped vegetables and gave them a brush off before placing them back on the produce stand. 

“I’m sorry,” Mingyu said, looking dejected as he handed her the few strays he had managed to pick up. 

“Oh, it’s okay, dear,” she said, “It was an accident.” She turned to Heechul. “Is he yours? He’s a new one, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, Mingyu just came here about a week ago,” Heechul said, “He’s young, so I don’t think he’s quite figured out how to move in that big body of his. Mingyu, this is Yoon-ssi.”

Mingyu bowed to the employee, fumbling with the bag of onions he was holding as he did so. He quickly held them to his chest, not wanting to spill any more. 

“He really is big, isn’t he,” the woman remarked, “But he’s so cute too. Aw, look at those ears!”

She reached way up to pat Mingyu’s head and the dog hybrid instinctively lowered himself, something he no doubt did many times living with small children. Heechul was happy to see Mingyu’s tail wagging again as he enjoyed being pet by the kind older lady. He really was a sweet puppy. Even if he was a bit clumsy.

“Yoon-ssi!” 

The woman looked up, surprised to see two hamster hybrids running at her. At least Soonyoung was holding the fish Heechul had asked him to get. But Ilhoon’s arms looked suspiciously full of junk food.

“Aigoo! Look at you two,” she said, smiling, “I think you’ve grown some more since I last saw you.”

“Just Soonyoung’s head maybe,” Ilhoon replied.

“Come here,” the woman chuckled as she motioned for the hamsters to follow her.

She led them over to her sample station and gave them both some taiyaki, a sweet bread shaped like a fish. Then she handed one to Mingyu. The dog hybrid carefully sniffed it, apparently not quite sure what it was.

“It smells sweet,” he said, “But it’s a fish.”

The woman just laughed. “Oh, he’s just a little one, isn’t he?” she said, smiling, “He’s probably never had it before. It’s bread, dear. You can have it for dessert, but only if you listen to your owner.”

“I will,” Mingyu replied, determined, “Thank you so much.”

“Now, where’s that cute little bunny of yours,” the woman said, looking around, “I’ll give him one too. He’s always so polite.”

“He’s at home,” Heechul said, feeling a twinge of guilt, “He had to look after the other bunny. The one I told you hasn’t been able to come out yet.”

“Oh yes, the poor little thing,” she said, nodding, “I hope he’ll get better soon. Bunnies need to get out into the sunshine.” She handed Heechul two more taiyaki. “You give these to those sweet little rabbits. And tell them to come next time.”

Heechul thanked her as she hurried back to her work station. He looked over at the hamsters who were already half-way through their taiyaki, their fingers sticky with custard. So much for waiting for dessert. But Mingyu hadn’t unwrapped his and was holding it carefully like it was some precious gem and not just a snack. 

“You can eat it now, if you want,” Heechul told him.

Mingyu ran his thumb gently over the words on the package, looking down at the little fish almost in awe.

“This is a present, right?” he said, “I think I’ll save it for now.”

He carefully put it into his jacket pocket, as gently as one would a real fish and not just a piece of bread made to look like one. And Heechul had to wonder, had the hybrid really never received a present before? Had his whole life just been to serve his other owners, to act as their maid without ever being given anything? 

“Mingyu…” Heechul said, “What do you want to buy in here?”

“Well, we still need to get the cabbage…” Mingyu replied.

“No, I don’t mean to make for our dinners. What do you want to buy, for yourself? What do you really like to eat? Any snacks? Or desserts?”

“I…I don’t know…” Mingyu replied.

Heechul took him gently by the arm as he led the puppy into the junk food aisle.

“Well, let’s see what there is,” Heechul said, “Anything you like, you just tell me. And I’ll buy it for you.”

Mingyu looked over the massive selection in front of him. And his tail began to wag as he smiled.

***

Ding-dong!

The sound of the doorbell rang throughout the house. Minhyuk had been getting himself something to drink when it went off. In the living room he watched as Minseok quickly hid behind the couch, startled by the shrill noise and scared by the prospect of someone at the door. Jihoon quickly joined him. The cat hybrid wasn’t one to normally be frightened, but for some reason he really hated whenever anyone rang the buzzer. Minhyuk was always puzzled by it. Weren’t dogs the ones that were supposed to hate the mailman?

Rolling his eyes at his cowardly housemates, Minhyuk confidently went to answer the door. Just as he suspected it was not a murderer or a police officer that greeted him, but simply the mailman. He was carrying several large packages and didn’t seem to find it at all strange to get a rabbit to sign for them. No doubt he just wanted to be rid of the heavy post in his arms. 

Minhyuk took the mail upstairs with him, leaving Minseok and Jihoon to comfort each other over their harrowing run-in with the scary mailman. He set the packages down on Heechul’s bed and then briefly looked over the labels. It looked like the same old, same old. Gaming stuff, maybe some kind of anime collectible... 

And then something caught Minhyuk’s eye.

“Hybrid Accessories”

What was this now? If it was something to do with hybrids then Minhyuk was definitely interested. He picked up the package and shook it, listening for any sounds inside, but there was nothing. He ran his hand over the paper cover, but he couldn’t tell what it was from the shape. He sniffed it as a last resort, but it just smelled like the truck it had been sitting in and vaguely like the mailman. 

He would never get anywhere like this. He’d just have to open it. 

Heenim would understand, he was sure. Minhyuk just had a natural curiosity. He had to do it.

Carefully, Minhyuk opened the end of the package and pulled out the contents. Inside were two round objects, one slightly larger and heavier than the other. They were collars, Minhyuk realized. The bigger one seemed to be made of leather judging by the smell. Minhyuk looked it over, noticing a small charm dangling from the center of the collar. It was a name. “Mingyu” it read. 

So this was a collar for Mingyu then? He supposed that made sense, Mingyu was a dog hybrid after all and they generally wore collars. But then what about the other one? It was a lot more delicate looking than Mingyu’s and was made from a soft fabric instead of leather. It seemed to be for a smaller hybrid. 

Minhyuk held it up and examined it. There was a name embroidered along the side of this collar. Minhyuk’s heart fluttered as he read the first syllable, “Min…” Could it be, he wondered excitedly. Could Heenim have secretly bought him a collar as a surprise? But in an instant his joy was cut short as he read the second syllable. His stomach lurched and he felt like he had been punched in the chest. “..kki”, read the second part of the name.

Minhyuk stared down at the collar in his hand. His body felt cold all over. And those dark clouds that had seemed to be circling around him for the past few days now converged on him all at once.

No.

He didn’t.

Yes, he did.

It made sense that Heenim had bought Mingyu a collar. Mingyu was a dog and it was natural for them to wear one. Baekhyun had explained to Minhyuk once how much better he felt wearing his than being without it. Minhyuk wasn’t upset about that.

But why did Heenim buy Minseok one too?

Minhyuk checked through the other packages. Maybe he had made a mistake. Maybe he had missed one for him too. But the tiny spark of hope was quickly extinguished as he realized there were no other collars among the mail. Heenim had only bought one for Mingyu and one for Minseok.

One for Minseok.

Heenim bought a collar for Minseok.

Minseok, who had only been with them for a year, when Minhyuk had been with Heechul for four years. Minseok, who was always scared and crying, and was more of a baby than a bunny, really. Minseok, who got to cuddle with Heechul all the time and stole all his attention away just by existing…

Minseok

Minseok

Minseok

Minhyuk could hardly see the collar clutched tightly in his fist, his eyes now too blurry from tears. That was alright. He didn’t want to see it. Instead he brought the collar up to his mouth, took it between his teeth, and pulled as hard as he could. The fabric stretched out, but didn’t break. So Minhyuk repeated the action until the thing finally snapped. He did it again with the remaining section, pulling until it also stretched and broke into a smaller piece. He chewed at the small bits of fabric, slowly and deliberately, making sure to leave noticeable teeth marks along the once soft, pretty little collar. Then he carefully scattered the shredded pieces all over Heechul’s bed.

He looked around the room, his jaw clenched, and then he spotted Heechul’s headphones on the desk. These were the nice ones, the expensive ones, that Heenim liked to use for gaming. Minhyuk picked them up.

Minseok

Minseok

Minseok

It’s always Minseok. He’s the good bunny. The one that everyone likes. The one that Heenim loves more than anyone else. And you’re just second place. You’ve always been, ever since the adoption center. Nobody really wanted you, not even Heenim. He just took you until he could find someone better. 

And now he has.

Minhyuk bit into the headphones to stop a sob from escaping him. The earpiece cracked beneath his teeth and he found it oddly comforting, destroying something like this. But it was only a slight comfort, one not strong enough to overcome the loneliness and rejection he felt inside.

So he chewed. And he chewed. And he chewed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Silhouette - M&D


	11. Brand New Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minhyuk lets it all out and Jihoon learns a little more about Mingyu's past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally had some Jigyu planned for this chapter, but I felt like it was overshadowing Minhyuk's storyline, so I took most of it out. Hopefully I can fit in later, but I'm not sure if it'll still work with the storyline I have planned. But I will try my best because I do like them together so much. I also had an idea for a prequel story for Ilhoon and Minhyuk in the adoption center, but I don't know if I'll have the time to write it out, so I'll just reveal one little Ilhoon tidbit here: He was raised from a baby by a teacher who took him to his classroom to teach children about hybrids. Ilhoon was only supposed to stay with the teacher for a year (Ilhoon didn't know that), but he grew to his full adult size early and was too big to play with the kids, so the teacher just dumped him off at the adoption center right away. :( But luckily he had Minhyuk there to look out for him. :3

“Minhyuk hyung! Minhyuk hyung!”

Ilhoon called out for the rabbit as he hurried through the adoption center, looking for his friend. Minhyuk stirred slightly at the sound of his name, but didn’t move from where he was lying on his bunkbed. He didn’t look up either when the cheerful dongsaeng burst into the dorm room.

“Minhyuk hyung!” Ilhoon exclaimed, “I just heard from Sangmin-nim, they’re going to buy an X-Box One for us!”

“Great…” Minhyuk mumbled into his pillow.

He felt the hamster climb on top of him, bouncing slightly and Minhyuk let out an “oof” as he was squished into the mattress. Ilhoon sometimes seemed to forget that his body was much bigger than most hybrids his age, having grown to his full size at only nine months old. 

“Did you hear me?” Ilhoon asked, “We’re gonna get an X-Box!”

He grabbed at the bunny’s shoulders, pulling excitedly, and Minhyuk had to remind himself that the little hamster was still a baby and he shouldn’t get annoyed with him. But he really wasn’t in the mood for this now.

“I said it’s great,” Minhyuk replied tersely.

He wiped at his nose, sniffling, and suddenly a cute chubby cheeked face was peering down at him from around his shoulder.

“Minhyuk hyung? What’s wrong?” Ilhoon asked, concerned.

“It’s nothing…” Minhyuk replied, quickly wiping at his wet eyes, “I just…I thought I was going to…I thought he would take me…but he picked Jongup instead…”

He trailed off, feeling himself about to cry again and forcing it down. He needed to keep himself in check. He couldn’t get so worked up like this every time it happened, since that seemed to be a lot.

“Who picked Jongup? That human that was just here?” Ilhoon asked.

“I thought I was finally getting a home…” Minhyuk said, his voice stuttering through fresh tears, “I know I’m not as pretty as Jongup, but…I thought I’d finally get to go…”

Ilhoon made a dismissive noise and squashed himself against the rabbit, rubbing his face against Minhyuk’s. 

“You’re way prettier than Jongup!” the hamster exclaimed, “Cats are dumb!”

“Then why does everyone seem to want them? Or dogs?” Minhyuk asked, “Why doesn’t anyone want a bunny?”

“I don’t know,” Ilhoon said, frowning, “Humans are dumb sometimes too… But don’t worry, Minhyuk hyung! Someone will pick you really soon! Cause…you’re the best!”

He kissed the bunny on the cheek and Minhyuk couldn’t help but cheer up slightly. Even though he was more than a year older than Ilhoon, somehow having the baby hamster around made Minhyuk feel better. Ilhoon was so full of energy and he looked up to Minhyuk, unlike the others who seemed to view him as a pest most of the time. It was hard for Minhyuk, being the only rodent in the adoption center for so long. Two years might not have seemed like much time to a human, but for a hybrid still awaiting adoption it was the longest time of his life. And two years being an outcast amongst cats and dogs was even worse. So Minhyuk was grateful for Ilhoon.

Minhyuk rolled over, catching the hamster in a hug and squeezing him tight. Ilhoon giggled and tried to squirm away as Minhyuk pinched his cheeks.

“Ah, why does everyone do that?” Ilhoon protested, “It hurts after so many times…”

“Oh, sorry,” Minhyuk said. He let go of the hamster’s face and proceeded to kiss his cheeks instead. “Better?”

“Mm,” Ilhoon nodded, then he looked at Minhyuk sincerely, “Don’t be sad anymore, hyung. Okay? Cause…cause I love you! And there’s a human that loves you too! He just hasn’t found you yet.”

Minhyuk smiled at him, ruffling up the hamster’s hair affectionately. He liked the idea of that, that there was someone out there for him, looking for him. They just hadn’t met yet. He chided himself for being so upset in the first place. It was silly. They were all looking for homes here and Jongup deserved to find one just as much as he did. And here was Ilhoon, a baby who had already been dumped by one owner, cheering up a hybrid that was twice his age. 

“Thanks,” Minhyuk said, “I love you too, Ilhoonie. Come on, let’s go watch TV.”

He disentangled himself from Ilhoon and took his hand in his, leading the hamster out of the room. As they moved through the doorway they nearly ran into Jiho who was just coming back in.

“Ugh, you’re still here, Roadkill?” Jiho asked, “I thought we’d finally be able to get the rodent stink out of the room. Guess humans don’t want smelly rabbits either.”

“Hey!” Ilhoon exclaimed, “Minhyuk hyung isn’t smelly!”

Jiho rolled his eyes.

“And you brought Snakefood in here, too?” he asked, “Great, now it’s going to reek…”

“Shut-up!” Ilhoon squeaked.

“Ilhoonie, don’t…” Minhyuk warned.

He wanted as little conflict with the “dog” hybrid as possible. Jiho was annoying at best, but could be absolutely terrifying when he was in a bad mood. And Minhyuk didn’t want to do anything to provoke that. Because while it said “dog” on Jiho’s papers, the hybrids in the adoption center all knew the truth. They could smell he was actually a wolf. Wolf hybrids were technically illegal in Korea, which was why he was registered as a dog. Minhyuk wasn’t sure if the staff knew of Jiho’s real species and were just covering it up or if they really had no idea, but either way none of the hybrids at the center were going to blow the whistle on him. They were too afraid.

Jiho looked at Minhyuk and sneered.

“I guess I should just get used to your stink, since looks like no one wants to adopt you. I bet you’ll be here longer than the building itself. Face it, Roadkill, no one wants a rodent.”

Minhyuk said nothing, Jiho’s harsh words stinging more than he would have liked. But Ilhoon just couldn’t keep quiet.

“No one’s going to adopt you either!” Ilhoon said, “Because you’re an asshole!”

Minhyuk inhaled sharply, his body tense as his eyes flitted over towards Jiho. The rabbit was prepared for an attack. And if Jiho lashed out at the baby hamster Minhyuk would protect him. Even if he got ripped to shreds in the process. 

The mocking smile had been wiped from Jiho’s face, replaced instead by a scowl and dark eyes. He slowly leaned down towards Ilhoon, growling low in his throat. Ilhoon froze as the wolf breathed heavily next to him, trying to intimidate the hamster into backing down. Minhyuk could smell the fear wafting from Ilhoon immediately and felt himself growing angry.

He’s just a baby, he thought. He’s not even a year old. Pick on someone your own size.

But Minhyuk himself could say nothing. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a few moments, Jiho backed off. 

“Watch what you say, Snakefood,” the wolf threatened, “Or there won’t be enough of you left to adopt.”

He shoved Minhyuk with his shoulder as he made his way into the room and Minhyuk quickly pulled Ilhoon down the hall and into the TV room. As soon as they were “safe”, Ilhoon burst into tears, wailing loudly. Minhyuk hugged him and pet his ears, trying to calm the poor baby down before a staff member came running in, wondering what all the noise was about.

“Ilhoonie, Ilhoonie, it’s okay,” Minhyuk said, “I’m here. Hyung’s here.”

“Scary…” Ilhoon cried, nuzzling against Minhyuk further, “Too scary…”

Minhyuk stroked the hamster’s hair as he rocked him. 

Don’t worry. I’m here. I’ll take care of you. I’m here.

“I’ll be here forever…” Minhyuk thought sadly.

***

Jihoon was bored. It was almost lunch time and the others still hadn’t come back and now he was tired of waiting for them. So he decided he was just going to grab something small to eat and head up to his room to do some writing. 

“Minseok, do you want a snack?” the cat asked as he rustled through the cabinets.

“No, Heechul appa said he’d make us lunch,” Minseok replied from his spot on the couch.

“Well I’m hungry now.”

Jihoon pulled out a package of fish jerky and popped a piece into his mouth as he went to gather his things from the armchair. He picked up his tablet and some papers and went to leave, but Minseok called after him.

“Jihoon, don’t forget your notebook,” Minseok said, pointing at a thickly bound book sitting on the coffee table.

“It’s not mine,” Jihoon told him.

He stared at the book curiously, his head cocked to the side. He’d never seen it before. He knew none of the other hybrids did any writing like he did. Minhyuk could manage it, but with great effort. And while Soonyoung and Minseok could both at least read, they could hardly write more than their own names and a few simple sentences. Ilhoon was the only one whose skills matched Jihoon’s, but the hamster didn’t seem to find writing all that interesting. Maybe the notebook was Heechul’s?

Jihoon flipped open the notebook’s first page. There, scrawled across a generous portion of the paper was a name in messy Hangul. “Mingyu”, it said. Jihoon’s curiosity was piqued further now. He turned the next page and saw a drawing. It was a small puppy hybrid surrounded by others. He had to admit the drawing was actually pretty good, especially compared to the one the hamsters had done for him. 

He flipped through the pages absently. Each one had a drawing of different things. There was a dog hybrid playing in a park. A human handing out treats. Two dog hybrids in a bath tub. 

“What’s that?” Minseok asked.

“I don’t know…” Jihoon trailed off as he kept flipping through the pages, “It’s Mingyu’s. I think…it’s a diary…”

Minseok looked over his shoulder, eyeing the pages with quiet interest.

“Looks like a picture book,” he commented.

“I don’t think he knows how to write,” Jihoon replied, “His name on the front was pretty messy.”

“It’s hard,” Minseok said, commiserating with the absent dog.

Jihoon flipped to the later pages of the notebook. One picture had a dog hybrid playing with two small humans. Then the dog hybrid was holding something broken. The next picture was a dog hybrid crying. Then four humans sitting at a table piled with food while the dog hybrid was in the next room alone, still crying. Jihoon noticed one of the humans in the picture had been crossed out, pen marks scribbling over and over his image. Jihoon flipped backwards through the pages a bit. Every picture with this human in it had been scribbled over. It was the same in the next few pages, although in these there were less pictures of the family and more just extremely detailed sketches of different kinds of food, as if that was all Mingyu could think about.

Jihoon thought back to the summer time, when the cat hybrid had been scrounging around trash bins for scraps, so hungry he thought he would die. 

“Is that supposed to be Mingyu’s old family?” Minseok asked, pointing to the humans in the drawing. 

“I think so,” Jihoon replied.

“And that’s Mingyu!” Minseok said, pointing to the drawing of the dog hybrid.

“Yeah, looks like it, doesn’t it?”

Jihoon turned the next page and Minseok let out a squeak. Almost all the pictures had been done in pen only, but this one had bright red marks on it. Jihoon quickly closed the book before Minseok could get a good look at what was drawn on it.

“I don’t think we should read this,” Jihoon said, “It’s Mingyu’s private stuff…”

“Was…was Gyu hurt?” Minseok asked worriedly.

So he had seen what it was. 

Jihoon hadn’t been there when Minseok had first arrived, but he knew from the others that someone had hurt the rabbit pretty badly before Heechul and Minhyuk had found him. That was why he had a scar running across his ear. Jihoon knew Minseok was still sensitive towards those kind of things (he didn’t even watch action movies because of it) and the cat hybrid didn’t want to scare him. So he shook his head.

“It was paint,” Jihoon lied, “There was an easel in the picture. Mingyu must have been excited about painting.”

“Are you sure?” Minseok asked, chewing on his ear.

“Yes,” Jihoon said, “It was nothing. I just think we shouldn’t be reading Mingyu’s diary, that’s all. I’ll go put it upstairs.”

“I hope Heechul appa comes back soon…” Minseok said quietly.

Jihoon picked up the notebook and went to go upstairs. But then something made him stop. He reached out and patted Minseok on the head first, stroking at the lop’s soft ears for a moment. Then he continued on his way. To his surprise Minseok hadn’t flinched when he touched him and instead had seemed to gratefully lean into his hand. 

Jihoon felt slightly proud that he had been able to touch the normally skittish bunny without Minseok running away scared. But the feeling wasn’t quite enough to erase the image in Mingyu’s diary from his mind.

***

It wasn’t too long after that Heechul and the others arrived home. Heechul opened up the front door first, unlocking it and fumbling into the doorway with arms laden full of shopping bags. The hamsters and Mingyu were trailing behind, carrying a few bags themselves. 

Heechul smiled as he was instantly greeted by an adorable little rabbit.

“Heechul appa!” Minseok exclaimed, grinning like he was just seeing his owner for the first time after years, instead of just a couple hours.

The bunny bounded over to him, poking at the bags he was carrying.

“Did you bring me watermelon?” he asked, his little noise twitching as he sniffed around.

“Yes, of course,” Heechul replied, laughing, “Just let us get inside first, Minkki.

“It’s in here,” Soonyoung said, holding his bag up and Minseok gave a little cheer.

“Where’s Minhyukie?” Heechul asked the younger rabbit.

“He’s upstairs,” Minseok replied, “He went up there awhile ago and hasn’t come back down.”

Heechul set the grocery bags down on the counter. Normally he’d wait until they had lunch actually prepared to call the rabbit, but this time he wanted to see him right away. He wanted Minhyuk to know he hadn’t been forgotten about.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” Heechul told the others, “Can I trust you guys to unpack all of this?”

“Of course!’ Soonyoung exclaimed, carrying the heavy watermelon in his arms over towards the counter.

Heechul quickly took the large fruit from the hamster’s hands and set it down safely into the fruit bin inside the fridge. 

“Alright,” he said, “Now I can trust you. Just take out what we need for lunch and put everything else away. Mingyu, you can start cooking if you want to and I’ll be down to help you soon.”

Now with the prized watermelon safely stowed away Heechul confidently left the hybrids in the kitchen and headed upstairs. As he reached the bedrooms he was just about to call out Minhyuk’s name when suddenly the air seemed to be knocked out of him and he couldn’t make a sound.

Heechul’s jaw dropped as he walked past his own bedroom. For a moment he wondered if maybe they had been robbed or something. The place definitely looked as though it had been ransacked. There was stuff strewn about everywhere, there were drawers opened with his clothes spilling out, and even one of the paintings had been knocked off the walls. He stood there in shock, taking it all in, and then he let out a cry as his eyes focused on something lying on the floor.

It was his headphones. The sleek, new ones he had bought not too long ago. And they were completely wrecked.

Heechul picked up the now useless piece of audio equipment and examined it. There were teeth marks all over the earpieces and the cord had been chewed in half. And suddenly he knew exactly what had happened in his room and who had done it. 

Heechul looked over the rest of the stuff frantically. He picked up one of his favourite shirts, the fabric disgustingly wet and now completely shredded with holes. It was lying next to an expensive bag that he didn’t use very much, but still really liked. Now the soft leather was covered in teeth marks and several punctures from someone very forcefully chewing into it. 

He let the still slightly slimy bag fall from his hand, his anger beginning to rise as he looked about the trashed room. Just how many things had that rabbit destroyed? 

“Ya!” Heechul exclaimed suddenly as he noticed something peeking out from a pair of his favourite (now obviously ruined) pants. 

He quickly picked up the precious item. It was one of his anime figurines, a cute little demon-fox holding a leaf. It was a rare collectible, one that he had picked up for a steep price on a trip to Tokyo. And now it was missing its head, with the rest of its body looking like a chew-toy. 

Heechul was really starting to get pissed off now. This wasn’t just Minhyuk being anxious and chewing on random easily replaceable things to comfort himself. This was Minhyuk completely destroying Heechul’s things. Things that really meant a lot to him.

The room suddenly seemed too hot. He could feel himself starting to sweat. He knew he was letting his temper get the better of him, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t help feeling somewhat betrayed by the whole thing. Minhyuk had promised to be good before Heechul had left. But then he had gone and done this. 

Heechul looked around the room, trying to calm himself down before going to confront the naughty bunny. But then something made him suddenly boil over.

He grabbed at the item amidst the mess on the floor. He could feel his heartrate rising as he stared in disbelief. It was one of his signed albums. Twice’s debut, to be exact. Though he found it slightly embarrassing, he was quite a big fan of the cheerful girl group and he cherished the CD they had given him when he had been an MC for a music show they had performed on. 

Heechul ran his hand gingerly over the cover of the album. There were teeth marks all over it, so bad in some places that the cover had caved in on itself. It looked as if it had been put through a trash compactor. Lying next to it was a handful of wet pieces of paper which Heechul soon realized were pages from the album’s photobook. He uncrumpled them with shaking hands. It was only the pictures of Momo, he noted, the beautiful images of his favourite member now reduced to soggy shreds.

Heechul felt as though he was normally very composed when it came to dealing with his hybrids. Even when the hamsters burned his kitchen he managed to stay calm when punishing them. Because he knew they didn’t mean to do it. He couldn’t be mad at that. 

But this destruction was very obviously deliberate. Minhyuk hadn’t gone in blind. He had chosen things that he knew Heechul really liked and then tore them to pieces. And after he had looked Heechul in the eyes and told him he would be fine, he would be good. He had lied straight to his owner’s face. And Heechul couldn’t stand that. 

Furious, Heechul stormed out of his war-zone of a room and whipped open the door to the bunnies’ bedroom. Minhyuk was sitting on his bed, playing a game on one of the tablets. He jumped at Heechul’s loud entrance, looking somewhat startled to see his owner standing in the doorway.

“Get out here,” Heechul said, “Get out here now.”

Minhyuk hesitated for a moment, but it was a moment too long for his angry owner. Heechul strode into the room and grabbed Minhyuk by the arm, yanking the rabbit off the bed.

“Hey! Hey! What…stop!” Minhyuk was protesting as Heechul practically dragged him from the room.

The bunny stumbled to his feet and quickly followed after the man that was pulling him.

“Did you do this?!” Heechul yelled, gesturing to the messy room.

“Yes,” Minhyuk replied immediately.

“Why?!”

“Because you don’t pay attention to me,” Minhyuk said simply.

He didn’t seem ashamed at all, the rabbit’s defiant tone sounding more like a petulant little child than a contrite hybrid. It only served to infuriate Heechul further. Had Minhyuk been planning this all along? Lying to his owner that everything was okay, while waiting for his opportunity to “get back” at him?

“So you wanted attention?” Heechul asked, “Well fine, I’ll give it to you!”

He grabbed the rabbit around the waist and roughly led him over to the bed. Heechul sat down on the edge and pulled Minhyuk onto him, manoeuvering the bunny so he was lying across his lap.

“Let go! What are you-“

Minhyuk’s words were cut off as Heechul slapped him on the ass, hard. The rabbit gave a little cry and tried to get up, tried to get away, but Heechul pushed down against his back, keeping Minhyuk in place.

“You have my attention now!” Heechul said, bringing his hand down again, “Is this what you want?!”

“Stop it!” Minhyuk yelled, “Let me go!”

He squirmed on his owner’s lap, struggling feebly as Heechul smacked him once again. 

“How many times should I do it?” Heechul asked, “Maybe once for every item you ruined?”

“Let go of me!” Minhyuk yelled.

Though he voiced his protest the rabbit had stopped moving now, only flinching when Heechul struck him again. 

“Maybe once for every little piece?” Heechul asked angrily.

He brought his hand down again for a particularly hard slap and Minhyuk whimpered.

“Stop it…” the bunny whined, sounding defeated as Heechul continued.

Heechul could feel that little voice in the back of his head, nagging him, telling him to stop and not let his anger take over. That little voice, pointing out that Minhyuk was physically strong enough to actually get away from him, but he was staying on Heechul’s lap, obeying his owner even when he was being hit.

Being hit.

You’re hitting Minhyuk. 

You’re hitting your sweet little bunny.

You’re inflicting pain on your hybrid over some stupid material things.

And just like that Heechul felt his anger suddenly drain from him. What was he doing? 

What the hell was he doing?

Minhyuk was crying as he lay limply across Heechul’s lap. His hands were gripping at the bedsheets, anticipating another strike across his backside. He wasn’t struggling at all, instead he seemed to be just miserably accepting his fate. Heechul lifted his arm from the rabbit’s back, but Minhyuk didn’t even attempt to get up and remained in the same position as when Heechul had been holding him down. 

“Minhyuk…” Heechul said, his voice suddenly soft, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

Minhyuk said nothing as he continued to cry and Heechul pet the rabbit’s ears, trying to calm him.

“I’m sorry Minhyukie. I shouldn’t have done that. But…why did you do this?” Heechul sighed, “Because we left you? You told me you’d be fine… Why did you lie?”

Minhyuk stopped crying suddenly and Heechul felt the rabbit’s body tense against him.

“You think that’s why?” Minhyuk asked quietly, “You don’t even know? You don’t even know…” He laughed bitterly and then he quickly got up off of Heechul’s lap, startling the human. “You don’t even know?!” Minhyuk yelled, “You hit me and you don’t even know why I’m mad?!”

He reached onto the bed and scooped some things up in his hand. Then he threw them at Heechul’s face, huffing angrily, his cheeks wet with tears. Heechul looked down at the pieces of black cloth that had fluttered down onto his lap. He had no idea what they were, but he guessed voicing that out loud at the moment was not the right thing to do. Luckily Minhyuk filled him in right away.

“Why did you buy a collar for Minseok?!” Minhyuk yelled at him, “Why did you buy him one and not me?!”

“What…”

And then Heechul noticed the open packaging from the mail on the bed. The collars he ordered must have arrived.

Oh fuck. 

The collars.

When he had ordered one for Mingyu he had had decided to check out some of the other designs on the website. He had found a pretty one that had seemed perfect for a bunny and after much deliberation he had decided to buy it. Not to give to Minseok, but just for himself. For his own…enjoyment? Pleasure? (Ugh, no, not that word.) He didn’t know what to call it really. But he had never intended to actually give the collar to the little bunny. He had just wanted to look at it and imagine Minkki wearing it. Someday. 

But how could he tell Minhyuk that? What would he say? “Don’t worry, I wasn’t actually going to give it him, it was just for my own weird fantasy”? That was a terrible explanation, he knew it. But apparently the oldest rabbit wasn’t going to let him even try to explain.

“He’s only been here a year!” Minhyuk yelled, “I’ve been with you for four years! Four years and you never bought me a collar! And you just bought one for him as soon as he got here!” 

“Minhyuk, I…”

“You never pay any attention to me anymore! You just treat me like Minseok’s babysitter! You always want me to take care of him and then you give all your attention to him! I know he’s your favourite, I know you love him the most!”

“That’s not true…”

“Yes it is! You love all of them more than me!” Minhyuk’s voice was rising now, almost hysterical, “You just kept getting more and more hybrids because I wasn’t enough! Isn’t that it?! Because I wasn’t good enough for you!”

He was crying hard now, sadness overtaking his anger, and Heechul figured they had come to the root of the problem. He had always thought that Minhyuk was so strong, the leader of the group, but now he knew just how vulnerable the little bunny really was. It must have been hard for him, trying to be the big brother to all the hybrids, when all he wanted was to be taken care of himself.

Heechul rose from the bed, going over to Minhyuk quickly to comfort him. The rabbit tried to resist at first, but soon let himself be pulled into a hug by Heechul as he sobbed.

“That’s not true at all,” Heechul said, “Minhyuk-ah…”

“Why did you even adopt me if you didn’t really want me?” Minhyuk asked, his voice breaking, “I waited so long for you to come. Nobody wanted me… I was alone for so long…”

“Minhyuk-ah,” Heechul pulled away from their hug and lifted the sniffling rabbit’s chin to look at him, “I wanted you the moment I saw you. You’re my first hybrid. And you’ll always be my first.”

“But I’m not your number one,” Minhyuk said sadly, “I know it’s Minseok.”

Heechul shook his head, trying to keep his face a mask to conceal his real feelings inside. It was true, he couldn’t help that. But there was no reason Minhyuk needed to know that. And Heechul cursed himself for not being more careful before this. Minhyuk should never have felt that way in the first place. Heechul should have hid his feelings better.

“I love all of you equally,” Heechul said, “Maybe it seems like I love Minseok more because he always cuddles with me? But he’s the one who asks for it. He’s the one who comes to me. You can have cuddles too, Minhyuk, but you never come to me anymore.”

Minhyuk bit his lip as fresh tears formed at the corner of his eyes.

“Because…I’m scared…” he said, his voice tiny.

Heechul let out a laugh, then quickly composed himself. Minhyuk’s face was serious, tears slipping down his cheeks. It wasn’t really funny, Heechul knew that, it was just so bizarre. Minhyuk was scared of him? Well he could maybe understand if that happened after the events of a few minutes ago, but this had started long before that.

“Scared?” Heechul asked, “Why?”

Minhyuk looked away, biting down harder on his lip, determined to keep silent as usual instead of letting his feelings come spilling out. 

“Minhyuk, talk to me,” Heechul pleaded, exasperated, “Why do you never tell me what’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything.”

“I…I love you…” Minhyuk said quietly.

“I love you too, Minhyukie, but-”

“No,” Minhyuk cut him off, “I don’t mean it like that.”

He finally looked at his owner, his eyes shining brightly, full of such sincere feeling, and suddenly Heechul understood. Minhyuk didn’t love him like a hybrid loves their owner, the kind of simple, childish love that bonds a pet to their master. Minhyuk’s love ran much deeper than that. And now the absolute destruction of Heechul’s room made so much sense. How hurt Minhyuk must have been to find that collar. Heechul could only imagine the pain the little bunny had felt. And suddenly Heechul’s stupid Twice album didn’t seem so important anymore. 

Heechul could feel himself starting to tear up now at the thought of poor heartbroken Minhyuk. The rabbit tried to give him a smile, trying to play off his confession as nothing.

“It’s okay,” Minhyuk said, “I know you don’t feel the same. I know you wish it was Minkki saying it instead…”

“No…” Heechul mumbled.

“It’s okay,” Minhyuk said again, “You can choose him first. Just…can’t you leave a little bit of your time for me?”

Heechul wiped away at the tears on the bunny’s cheek. Then he kissed him sweetly. 

“Why do I have to choose?” he asked, “Why can’t it be both of you?”

“You’re…you’re just saying that…”

“Why is it so unbelievable? It’s not like it’s a human marriage. Why does it have to be you or Minseok? Can’t I love both of you?”

Minhyuk seemed unsure as he studied Heechul’s face. 

“Do you really mean it?” he asked, “Or are you just saying what you think will make me happy?

Heechul knew words weren’t going to convince him at this point. So he took Minhyuk’s face in his hands and leaned in, kissing the rabbit fully. This time he didn’t hold back. He was surprised how easily his tongue slid into the hybrid’s mouth, how quickly Minhyuk submitted to him, even with all of the anger and sadness running through him. Underneath it all, Minhyuk really did love Heechul. He just wanted to be his. 

Heechul felt hands slipping around his back, pulling him closer as Minhyuk deepened their kiss. The rabbit pressed himself against his owner almost desperately, as if he was afraid to let go. Heechul had to admit, it felt good. He had never liked to think that way about his hybrids before, feeling like he would be taking advantage of them, but obviously in this case it was something Minhyuk wanted dearly. 

And, Heechul wanted it too, didn’t he? After being single for so long now, after watching the last guy he really liked get together with his best friend instead, didn’t he just want someone to love? Wasn’t that why he had gotten the hybrids in the first place? To stop feeling so lonely and pining away for someone he could never have? Well now he had someone.

They just weren’t human.

Heechul broke away from their kiss, breathing hard. Minhyuk pouted slightly at the loss of contact, still holding his owner close.

“Does that convince you?” Heechul asked.

“Yeah,” Minhyuk panted, “But…what…what do we…do you…”

The rabbit struggled to find the words, his brain having been short circuited by Heechul’s kiss.

“Are you asking where do we go from here?” Heechul asked, “I don’t really know. This is new to me too. But…I think we should take it slow. There’s no need to rush into things. I mean, we have all the time in the world.”

“So…I can have more kisses…like that?” Minhyuk asked, his words hopeful, but hesitant.

“Yes,” Heechul said, “But, you need to tell me your feelings more, Minhyuk. You need to come to me. Let me know what you want. You always keep everything inside and then, well, this happens.”

He gestured around the room and Minhyuk looked like he was going to cry again as the full magnitude of his destruction seemed to suddenly hit him.

“I’m sorry,” the bunny sniffled, “Oh Heenim, I’m so sorry I wrecked all your stuff!” 

“It’s okay,” Heechul sighed, “I’m the one who should be sorry. I’ve been taking you for granted, Minhyuk. I really should have paid more attention to you. So it didn’t have to come to this.”

“I…I didn’t want to chew up Momo…” Minhyuk whimpered, “I’m sorry, Heenim!”

Heechul laughed.

“No more sorrys,” he said, “Let’s just move on from here. I just want you to be happy, Minhyukie.”

Minhyuk hugged him tightly, holding back his tears at the instruction of his owner.

“I’m always happy with Heenim,” he said, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Heechul had no idea how this was going to affect things in the house now. He had no idea how he was going to balance his time with Minseok and Minhyuk, and all the others, without creating more jealousy or hurt feelings. And he had no idea where he wanted this relationship to go, or if he really could follow it through the way Minhyuk wanted. But as he kissed Minhyuk again, he realized none of that really mattered.

All that mattered was that he loved this one bunny very very much.

***

Minhyuk flipped through the channels on the adoption center’s crappy old TV, bored. There was never really anything on that he wanted to watch. The gameshows were stupid. The soap operas made him feel sad. And he was getting too old for cartoons. At least he was alone, for once. Ilhoon was taking a nap and Jiho was thankfully nowhere to be seen. He stared at the TV screen blankly, not really watching it, just taking a rare opportunity to be alone with his thoughts.

And then he heard Sunmi-nim talking with someone at the front desk. Minhyuk’s ears perked up at the sound of a man’s voice and he listened intently. 

“I’m not really sure what I’m looking for…” the man said, “I don’t have much experience with them…”

“That’s okay,” Sunmi replied, “We have some older hybrids if you think a baby might be too much.”

“Yeah, I think that would be better.”

The pair continued to talk for a bit and Minhyuk inhaled deeply, trying to catch this human’s scent. He was surprised by the result. Most humans that came through smelled pretty average. Some smelled bad and despite his strong desire to be adopted Minhyuk had avoided them when they came through. Some of the women smelled really nice, but it was a fake scent. He knew it was just their soap or perfume or makeup. But this person just smelled really good. He couldn’t describe exactly what it was, but it was something natural and homey. A warm scent.

“Do you have any that are…that like to be…affectionate?” the mystery person asked, his voice low and unsure, “I don’t mean for that, like something weird…I just I don’t want to get a cat or something that just wants to be left alone all the time, you know? I live alone, so…”

Sunmi giggled. 

“Don’t worry, I know exactly what you mean,” she said, “And I know someone who’s perfect. Bunnies are really sweet.”

“A bunny? I don’t think I’ve ever seen one before.”

“Well today is your lucky day to meet one!” Sunmi said cheerfully.

There was a shuffling of feet on the worn laminate floors and then suddenly Sunmi and the man were standing there in the TV room, looking at Minhyuk expectantly. Minhyuk looked up at the human and felt his breath taken away. This young man was beautiful. He had soft black hair and a pretty face and he smelled so nice. 

After the last time Minhyuk had promised himself he wouldn’t get his hopes again. That he would be indifferent to any more prospective owners coming through. But all that went out the window as he stared at the human before him. He could already feel his heart beginning to beat faster in his chest, that nervous butterflies in the stomach feeling growing stronger.

“Hi, I’m Heechul,” the man said, bowing.

Minhyuk got up off the couch and gave him a proper bow in return.

“I’m Minhyuk,” he said, “Nice to meet you.”

“Why don’t you two head out to the garden and chat for a bit?” Sunmi suggested, “I’ll bring you some tea.”

In the past Minhyuk had always kept his distance with the humans until he got to know them better. He was fairly shy when first meeting someone and only became his usual cute, cuddly self once he knew for sure he could trust the person. But there was something about the way this human looked at him that put Minhyuk at ease right away. Even though they’d only just met he felt like he’d known him forever.

So he held out his hand, gesturing for the human to take it. 

And Heechul grabbed onto Minhyuk’s hand without hesitation, entwining their fingers so naturally as Minhyuk led him to the garden terrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Brand New Days - BTOB
> 
> Edit: Can anyone guess who Heechul’s ‘past love’ is? He’s been mentioned a couple times in the story, but never had any dialogue. ;)


	12. A Day in the Life of a Lop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minseok's tired of being a baby. He just wants to be grown up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, for taking so long to write this chapter! I've discovered it's kind of hard to write from Minseok's perspective heh. And this might be a sign of things to come too. I don't think I'll be able to update as frequently because I'm working more and I need to prepare for school in a few months, (Yes, I'm old, but I'm going to school because you're never too old to learn lol :P) But I will try my best!
> 
> Anyway I hope everyone likes this chapter devoted entirely to Minkki! CBX's comeback has been feeding me well with lots of lovely pictures and video of Xiumin, so I wanted to have a chapter that focused solely on him. 
> 
> And one more little note: I really liked Heechul's long hair that he's had for the last few months, but then they went and changed it to this bowl cut mullet thing and I do not approve. XD So just so everyone knows, I'm imagining pretty long haired Heechul and not blah bowl cut Heechul when I write. XD XD

What happened?

Where was he?

The last thing Minseok remembered was drinking some tea, sitting on the bed in the hotel room. And then…nothing. 

Darkness.

No, there was something else. Right before his eyes closed. That man; his new owner. His face, turning from a sweet smile into a malicious one. 

No!

Minseok tried to get up, but he couldn’t. Why couldn’t he move? His arms…his arms were tied down. And so were his legs. He tried to kick them, but they were immobile too. He was lying on his stomach on the bed, face down, his arms and legs bound.

Why was he tied up? He was a good bunny, he wasn’t going to run away. Well, not before. But now…

He realized he wasn’t alone in the room. There was someone else there too. He could still hear them, still smell them. He turned his head, trying to see what was happening. There was the man, sitting down in the chair across the room, playing with something in his hands. He smiled when he noticed Minseok looking at him, his mouth now grinning impossibly wide, like the Joker, as he stared back with eyes that were simply two big black holes.

And in his hand, that knife was shining.

Minseok struggled against his bonds with all his might and quickly broke free. He ran to the door of the room and burst out into the hallway of the hotel, trying to make his escape. But the exit door was so far away at the other end of the hall. And no matter how much he ran, it just seemed to be getting farther and farther away from him. It didn’t make any sense. When had a hallway ever been this long? He ran and ran, hoping for freedom, but it just wouldn’t come to him. The lights along the walls began to dim, casting everything in an eerie red glow as the door became a small pinpoint in the distance. 

“No!” Minseok thought desperately, “Please! I have to get out!”

He reached out his arm, trying as hard as he could to get to the door and someone grabbed onto him. It was the monster, his face looking even more grotesque than before, his body now impossibly tall. The man-creature pulled Minseok into an alcove and raised the long, deadly blade in his hand, preparing to strike.

“NO!”

Minseok woke up with a start, panting hard, as if he really had been running for his life. He sat up and looked around the room frantically, his heart beating fast in his chest. In the low light he could recognize where he was. It wasn’t that horrible hotel room. It was his and Minhyuk’s room in Heechul appa’s house. He was at home. He was okay.

But it had really felt like he had been back there. And it had really felt like that…thing was there with him too.

Minseok suddenly burst into tears. It was too dark here. Even with the small light they always kept on at night it was still too dark. He didn’t like it. There were too many shadows. He couldn’t see in all the corners of the room, or in the closet. What if someone was in there? What if that man was waiting inside, waiting for him to fall asleep again? Waiting to cut just a little bit more…

“Minhyuk hyung, Minhyuk hyung…” Minseok cried, pushing at the other rabbit sleeping next to him.

“Mm?” Minhyuk replied, not even opening his eyes.

“Th-there’s someone here,” Minseok whispered, scared, “He’s in here…”

“What?” Minhyuk mumbled, “Who’s here?”

Minseok didn’t reply. He couldn’t say it out loud, it was too scary. Instead he grabbed onto Minhyuk, pressing himself desperately against the older rabbit.

“He’ll take my ears…” Minseok cried, “Just like my tail…”

Minhyuk opened his eyes then, sitting up slightly. He reached out to pet the sobbing bunny who was currently trying to burrow into his chest, stroking his hand over the little lop’s ears.

“Minkki, it’s okay,” Minhyuk said, “It was just a nightmare. There’s no one here.”

But despite Minhyuk’s reassurance Minseok couldn’t stop shaking. It had felt so real. He had thought he was going to die. It was the same feeling in his nightmare as it had been at the time of the incident. That rush of fear so strong that it gave him the strength to break free and run away. He knew he had only been able to escape from the hotel because his adrenaline had completely taken over. Because at that moment he truly believed he would be killed if he didn’t get away. It was the most terrifying feeling in the world and he never wanted to experience it again.

He clung to Minhyuk as he cried, trying to erase the awful memories from his mind. But it wasn’t just the images inside his head that bothered him. There was something else too.

“It hurts…” Minseok whimpered against Minhyuk’s shoulder.

“What hurts?” Minhyuk asked gently.

“M-my tail…” 

“Minkki…you don’t have a tail…” Minhyuk rationalized, “There’s nothing there to hurt.”

He was right, there was nothing there anymore and it shouldn’t have hurt. But somehow Minseok could still feel pain. Just like before. It was like it was happening all over again.

“But it does…” Minseok whined, hiccupping through his tears, “It f-feels like…cutting…”

He started to cry harder and Minhyuk rubbed his shoulders, trying to soothe the little bunny. 

“Shhh,” Minhyuk told him, “It’s just a phantom pain, it’s not real. It’ll go away soon. You were just having a nightmare, that’s all. But you’re safe now, okay Minkki? No one’s going to hurt you.”

Minseok closed his eyes tightly as he held onto Minhyuk, gritting his teeth against the pain in his lower back. He knew Minhyuk was right, it wasn’t really real. There was no one cutting into him now. It only felt that way because of his nightmare. But even so, it still hurt a lot.

Minseok felt Minhyuk shift against him and for a moment was worried the other rabbit was going to push him away, annoyed by his crying, just as he had that other morning. Lately Minhyuk had seemed more and more distant and it made Minseok hesitant to try and be as affectionate with him as he had been in the past. So he didn’t give out bunny kisses as freely anymore or nuzzle against Minhyuk while they watched TV or played games. In fact, sleeping together at night seemed to be the only time they were really close. And even then Minhyuk seemed different…

Minseok flinched suddenly as he felt Minhyuk’s hand slide beneath the waistband of his pajama bottoms. He was startled for a moment, wondering just what the heck Minhyuk was doing, until he realized the other rabbit’s palm was resting against the spot where his tail used to be. Gently, Minhyuk rubbed at the base of the younger bunny’s spine.

The sharp pain lessened slightly, but it still ached there. Minseok continued to whimper and sniffle, trying to ignore the strange feelings his missing tail was giving out. Minhyuk guided the other bunny into lying down, so they were both on their sides, face to face. He kept his hand against Minseok’s back as he looked into the younger’s eyes. Through his tears Minseok could see Minhyuk’s expression was soft, not annoyed. He looked concerned for the little rabbit. 

“Do you remember at Chuseok, when we were all playing Jenga together?” Minhyuk asked quietly.

“Y-yeah…” Minseok stuttered.

“And it was your turn and you had made it really high and then Baekhyun’s tail bumped into the table and knocked the whole thing over?”

“Mm-hm,” Minseok confirmed, his brow furrowed against the pain as Minhyuk continued rubbing his back gently.

“I remember you swore at him and everyone was so surprised,” Minhyuk said, grinning, “That was the first time I ever heard you say something like that. It was so funny hearing a word like that come out of you. And then your face after you said it…”

Minseok smiled at the memory, forgetting about his nightmare for a moment.

“I didn’t mean to…” he said softly, “It just came out…”

“In the end, you won, didn’t you?” Minhyuk asked, “Because you concentrated so well. Your hands never shook once when you were stacking the blocks.”

“Too bad the rest of my life can’t be like Jenga…” Minseok mumbled.

He had meant it to be light-hearted, but his face crumbled at the thought and he started to tear up again. Why couldn’t he be like that all the time? Why did he always have to be so scared? It wasn’t fair.

“Shhh..” Minhyuk leaned forward and kissed Minseok’s cheek. “No more tears, Minkki. Just relax, it’s okay…”

Minseok nodded as he exhaled deeply, trying to get himself under control. He tried not to think about all the things that made him feel so frightened and instead focused on just lying here next to Minhyuk, feeling the other rabbit’s warm hand against his skin. He thought of the things he liked about Minhyuk, starting with the handsome face looking back at him now. 

Those pretty eyes, the tanned skin, that cute smile of his whenever he laughed, that little freckle right at the corner of his mouth… 

Minseok stopped crying and slowly, his breathing began to even out. Minhyuk’s touch seemed to be erasing the pain in his back. After a few moments the aching began to subside and then, miraculously, it was gone completely. Minseok could feel his heartrate returning to normal, his body finally calming down after being in panic mode. 

“Feel better?” Minhyuk asked, noticing the change right away.

“Mm,” Minseok replied, his eyes closed. He snuggled into the other rabbit comfortably, nuzzling against Minhyuk’s neck. “Thank you…”

Minhyuk pulled his hand out from under the little bunny’s pajama bottoms and instead put his arm around Minseok, holding him close.

“Can you sleep now, Minkki? You won’t be scared?” he asked and Minseok gave another “mm” in response.

“Minhyuk hyung will protect me, right?” he asked.

He had meant to be sweet, but he regretted saying it when he heard a small sigh from the other.

“Yes,” Minhyuk said, not sounding quite so sincere, “Of course.”

Minseok pushed down the tears that were threatening to come back as he nestled against Minhyuk’s chest, rubbing his ears against the other bunny. 

He shouldn’t have to protect you. You should be strong on your own. You really shouldn’t be such a scaredy-cat all the time. Just get over it already. Just suck it up and be-

The house creaked with the wind and Minseok flinched, pressing himself against his hyung as he trembled.

Maybe it would be easier to be strong in the daylight, he reasoned.

***

Minseok thankfully didn’t have any more nightmares that night. But as he woke up the next morning those lingering feelings of uneasiness were still there. For a moment he wasn’t sure if he really had just been dreaming of something long passed, or did the incident just happen? He frowned and reached over to hold onto Minhyuk for comfort. But the space next to him was empty.

Minseok opened his eyes and sat up slowly. Minhyuk wasn’t there anymore. There was light shining into the room from outside, meaning it was morning, so he wasn’t too afraid now. Instead he just felt lonely as he traced his hand along the spot the other rabbit had slept on. It still smelled like Minhyuk there, that familiar scent that made Minseok feel a little better as he breathed it in.

It was probably time for breakfast and that’s why Minhyuk had left he figured. The oldest hybrid was always really hungry in the morning and liked to eat as soon as he woke up. 

But Minseok wasn’t so hungry right now. He was still feeling out of sorts from the night before. He would have liked to cuddle in bed with his hyung this morning, before getting up, but now that opportunity was gone. Well maybe there was someone else he could cuddle with. 

With a yawn, Minseok hopped out of bed and went across the hall, to Heechul’s room. He would definitely get cuddles in there. The door was mostly closed as he approached it and he could hear someone talking inside. He pushed the door open more and now he knew where Minhyuk had disappeared to. The other bunny was sitting in bed with their owner, his head resting against Heechul’s chest as they watched something on a tablet. Minseok was confused. Why was Minhyuk just relaxing in here? And not pestering Heechul appa for breakfast like he usually did?

“Minkki” Heechul exclaimed, smiling as he noticed the bunny, “Good morning.”

Minhyuk said nothing as he lifted his head up slightly, giving Minseok just the faintest of smiles.

“Good morning,” Minseok replied quietly.

He shuffled forward on unsure feet, his nose wrinkling up slightly as he made his way into the room. It smelled different in here than it usually did. As he came closer he realized the scent wasn’t from the room, or coming from Heechul. It was from Minhyuk. Minhyuk smelled different. Minseok didn’t know quite what it was, but somehow Minhyuk’s scent had changed slightly. 

Normally Minseok would have jumped right onto the bed and snuggled with Heechul appa, but these slight differences in their usual morning routine were making him hesitant. 

“What’s wrong?” Heechul asked, “What’s the matter, Minkki?”

He wasn’t really sure. On the surface things seemed to be almost the same as they usually were. But something about the way Heechul appa and Minhyuk hyung were right now, something about the way Minhyuk smelled, was bothering him. But he couldn’t say that. He was sure Heechul appa wouldn’t understand. There were a lot of things humans didn’t understand about hybrids.

“I…I had a nightmare…” Minseok said instead, “I was really scared…”

“Aw, my poor little Minkki…” Heechul replied.

“But I helped him,” Minhyuk piped up, “And he was okay after…”

“Come here,” Heechul said, ignoring Minhyuk’s comment as he held open his arms and gestured for Minseok to join them in bed.

Despite his reservations Minseok couldn’t ignore the allure of his owner’s embrace. He felt weird and unnerved this morning and he just wanted Heechul appa to make it all better. Heechul appa always made him feel better. So the little bunny climbed into the bed and got under the covers, nestling into the crook of Heechul’s arm on one side, just as Minhyuk was doing on the other.

“What are you watching?” Minseok asked, glancing at the screen that had now gone dark.

“Train to Busan,” Minhyuk replied and Minseok’s eyes went wide.

He was definitely not in the mood for a zombie horror movie this morning. Not that he was ever in the mood for that…

“No we’re not,” Heechul said quickly as he shot Minhyuk a disapproving look, “It’s Running Man.”

“Oh. Good. I like that show,” Minseok said.

He looked over at Minhyuk questioningly. Why would he lie like that? Was he just trying to make a joke? But Minhyuk wasn’t even smiling. Instead his face was blank, his eyes focused on the tablet screen in front of him. And Minseok noticed that the rabbit’s arm that had been draped casually across Heechul’s waist was now holding onto their owner, almost protectively.

Minseok looked back at the tablet screen, trying to just relax and not let these strange feelings take over. But it was hard when he could feel Minhyuk’s hand brushing against him as the other rabbit adjusted his grip on Heechul’s side. And then Minseok could have sworn that the back of that hand pushed at him, only slightly, but enough that he would notice. 

He felt Heechul appa’s hand on his head then, slowly stroking his ears. 

“You’re not scared anymore, are you?” Heechul asked, running his fingers over the soft fur.

“No,” Minseok replied, distracted, “Minhyuk hyung took care of me…”

“Ah, good. What a good…” Heechul trailed off, his body tensing for a second before he finished with, “…hyung.”

Minseok felt his cheeks getting warm as he realized Heechul appa hadn’t wanted to say “good bunny” in front of him, because of what happened the last time. But just thinking about it, thinking about Minhyuk saying those words, and being so close to Minhyuk now, with the way that he smelled, sent a little twinge of excitement through Minseok. He quickly glanced over at the other rabbit, wondering if he had noticed.

But Minhyuk wasn’t paying any attention to him now and instead was rubbing his chin against Heechul’s stomach. Minseok recognized that move. He did it himself with the people he really liked, trying to mark them, to claim them as “his”. He did it when he was happy, to be affectionate. But Minhyuk didn’t look very happy right now. His attitude seemed much more…possessive. Like he was marking out his territory. Or maybe warning Minseok to back off…

Heechul simply responded to Minhyuk’s gesture by petting the older rabbit’s ears. Their owner seemed relaxed and content at the moment, Minseok noted. And completely oblivious to the true meaning behind Minhyuk’s behaviour. Yeah, there was a lot of stuff humans didn’t know about hybrids.

But Minhyuk’s move hadn’t gotten past Minseok. The younger rabbit shifted uncomfortably against Heechul’s arm, wondering if maybe he should just leave the pair of them alone. No, he thought, annoyed at himself for always being so immediately submissive. Heechul appa was his owner too. He wasn’t just Minhyuk’s. And Minseok wanted to cuddle with him now too. 

Minseok stared resolutely at the screen, determined to hold his ground and not run away scared like he usually did. He was only half watching the show in front of him now, his ears and nose on alert for any other changes in the atmosphere. He flinched as he felt Heechul kiss the top of his head, his owner pressing his face against the lop’s ears.

He heard Minhyuk make a pouting noise beside him and Heechul chuckled. 

“Do you want a kiss too, Minhyukie?” he asked.

“Mm,” Minhyuk replied, still pouting.

Heechul kissed the top of the other rabbit’s head too. He had to maneuver somewhat awkwardly due to Minhyuk’s ears sticking up instead of down like the lop’s and Minseok guessed that the effect wasn’t quite the same. Minhyuk shook his head as he sat up to look Heechul in the eyes.

“Not like that…” the rabbit said and he leaned forward to kiss Heechul on the lips. 

Heechul kissed him back, sweetly. Just a quick peck. This was nothing different from the way they usually were, Minseok thought as he gazed up at them. But then Minhyuk leaned in again. This time he kissed Heechul with more feeling, his lips parting and his tongue moving in sensually. Minseok was shocked. The only time he’d seen Minhyuk kiss like that was when…the two of them…that night with the wine…

“Minhyuk, Minhyuk, hey hey,” Heechul was saying as he pulled away from their kiss, keeping the rabbit at bay with his hands on his chest, “It’s too early in the morning for that.”

He glanced down at Minseok with a worried look and the younger bunny looked away, embarrassed. But his embarrassment quickly turned to sadness. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat betrayed. That was the way Minhyuk had kissed him before. And he wanted to be the only one he did that to. Minseok pouted silently, his lower lip sticking out as he tried to process the situation. This wasn’t what he had wanted at all. Heechul appa was supposed to make him feel better, not worse.

But the way they were now, it was like a grown up couple. And Minseok was just the baby in the way.

That’s all they ever see you as, just a baby. That’s why Minhyuk doesn’t want to be with you. Because you’re too “little”. 

“Fine,” Minhyuk huffed as he sat back down, “We can just do that later then…”

He looked over at Minseok after he said it, his arm resuming its position around Heechul’s waist and pulling him just slightly closer to himself. And away from Minseok. 

Minseok stared at the screen in front of him, trying to keep his face as stony as possible to hide how he felt inside. 

“I’m not a baby,” he thought, “I can show you, Minhyuk hyung…”

***

Humans really were oblivious.

Heechul appa hadn’t noticed anything different between Minhyuk and Minseok as they finished watching their program and then went to have breakfast. Minseok knew Heechul appa couldn’t sense the same smells that they could, so he didn’t know how Minhyuk’s scent had changed, but he had hoped maybe their owner could pick up on some of the other things. But Heechul appa only noticed that Minseok seemed sad. And he just seemed to conclude it was from the nightmare. Minseok didn’t bother correcting him. Heechul appa couldn’t help him with this. But he knew someone who could.

Ilhoon hadn’t joined them for breakfast. The hamster hadn’t been feeling well the last two days and figured he was probably going into heat soon, so he was staying in his room for the time being, keeping away from the others and waiting for it to really hit him. 

After breakfast Minseok had waited until Heechul appa was preoccupied with something else before heading upstairs. Minhyuk had already gone off somewhere on his own so Minseok didn’t have to worry about being stopped by him. And Jihoon, Soonyoung and Mingyu wouldn’t have cared or known what he was doing anyway.

“Ilhoon hyung?” Minseok asked quietly as he opened the door to the hamster’s room.

The smell hit him immediately as he entered, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he felt a shiver run through him, heading down to the base of his spine, where his tail used to be. Even with the windows open Ilhoon’s scent was really strong and it affected the inexperienced bunny immediately. 

The hamster had only been in heat once before when Minseok was present in the house. Apparently it hit him twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The other hybrids had forbid Minseok to see him during that time and Ilhoon had spent several days in his room either alone or with Baekyhun. Even without going in the room though Minseok had been affected, just like the other hybrids had. He’d never been one to chew much before, but suddenly then he had wanted to chew everything in sight, he was so riled up. He remembered feeling restless and having even more trouble sleeping, tossing and turning next to Minhyuk and squirming out of the other bunny’s embrace to lie on his back, staring up at the ceiling for most of the night. And he’d had to…take care of himself a lot more often than usual.

It didn’t help that even without a bunny’s keen sense of hearing he could hear Ilhoon and Baekhyun all night in the room next door, which only added to his frustrated state. He didn’t know much about sex (his first owner, the one he thought of as his “Mom” had of course never explained anything to him, he had been too young in her eyes), but he’d picked up a few things while living in an adoption center for a few months afterwards and his instincts took care of the rest. He knew what Ilhoon and Baekhyun were doing. And he had wanted to join them, everything in his body telling him to go and find Ilhoon, find the source of that wonderful smell that was lingering around the house. 

But when he’d tried to tiptoe away once, Minhyuk had caught him.

“You’re not going in there,” Minhyuk had said, holding Minseok to his chest despite the other bunny’s protests.

“But..I just want to see Ilhoon…and make sure he’s okay…” Minseok had whined, struggling against the older rabbit, “Let me go…”

Minhyuk had responded by turning out the light, sending the two of them into complete darkness, and Minseok had immediately started to cry, scared. He quickly stopped trying to get away from Minhyuk and clung to him instead.

“I won’t turn it back on until you promise you won’t go,” Minhyuk had said and Minseok had promised right away, his voice choked with tears, his heart racing in terror as he begged for the light to come back.

After that he hadn’t tried to see Ilhoon until the others said he was allowed to. It had been a simple trick Minhyuk had done, but that jolt of fear had been enough of a deterrent for Minseok.

But Minhyuk wasn’t here now. And it was daylight. And Minseok didn’t care if he wasn’t supposed to see Ilhoon right now, he was doing it. 

The hamster in question was laying sprawled out on his back on his bed, his hand moving back and forth beneath his sweatpants. He gave a little yelp when Minseok came in the room and quickly retracted his hand, covering himself up with his blanket.

“M-Minkki, what are you doing in here?” he asked. 

“I just wanted to see you,” Minseok said softly.

The rabbit breathed in deeply as he walked towards the bed, letting the smell wash over him. It was nice. It made him forget about what a jerk Minhyuk was being. Instead he felt light and floaty, like after those first few sips of wine. 

Ilhoon however did not seem as relaxed.

“Where’s Baekhyun?” the hamster asked, worried eyes darting around the room.

“I don’t know,” Minseok shrugged. He sat down on the edge of the bed, “Heechul appa called Leeteuk samchon again, but I think they’re still in Busan.”

“Fuck…” Ilhoon groaned, clearly not impressed. 

“But it’s okay,” Minseok went on, “I…I can help you…Ilhoon-ah…”

He tentatively reached out to touch the other hybrid’s leg and Ilhoon jerked away immediately.

“What are you doing?” he asked, “Why did you come in here? You know I’m in heat, right? You shouldn’t be here…”

“I know what’s going on,” Minseok replied, “That’s why I’m here. I wanted to see you, Ilhoon-ah…”

This smell was making him feel better already. He felt less nervous, less scared. He knew this was what he wanted. He wanted to be with Ilhoon now. Minseok gently brushed a stray lock of hair from Ilhoon’s face, but the hamster leaned back from his touch.

“It’s okay,” Ilhoon said, “I’ll just wait for Baekhyun.”

Minseok frowned. He leaned forward on his hands and knees, his face very close to the other hybrid’s as he looked into Ilhoon’s eyes questioningly. Ilhoon only backed up farther against the headboard, trying to get away from the now over-bearing rabbit almost on top of him.

“Why?” Minseok asked, “He won’t be here for a long time. So I can help you. I’m not a baby you know…”

He sniffed at Ilhoon’s neck, breathing in more of that intoxicating smell and he could feel his body beginning to respond now. He wanted to give himself to the hamster, to submit to him. He knew Ilhoon was an alpha personality and the thought of it only made Minseok feel more excited. It was a perfect coupling for mates. Much better than the beta minded Minhyuk. They would fit together just right.

But why was Ilhoon acting so strange? Didn’t he want it too?

“Minkki…please…” Ilhoon pleaded, “Please just go… I-I can’t do that to you…”

“But I want you to…” Minseok breathed.

He ran his fingers through the hamster’s hair as he continued sniffing at him, letting himself become overwhelmed by the scent, letting it chase away any doubts he still had.

“No, you don’t…it’s just the pheromones talking,” Ilhoon reasoned, beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead now, “Please, you have to go now…”

Minseok knew he should listen to what Ilhoon was saying. A part of him knew this wasn’t right, this wasn’t what he was supposed to be doing. But the other part, the one that wanted to just be ‘grown up’ so badly, the one that was angry with Minhyuk, the one that was giving in to the scent right now, that part was just a little bit stronger.

“Ilhoon-ah…” Minseok whispered.

He kissed the hamster’s neck and heard a small moan escape from the other hybrid in response. He reached under the blanket, his hand trailing down Ilhoon’s stomach, towards his lower half. 

“No!” Ilhoon yelled suddenly and he forcefully shoved Minseok away, “I said no!”

He pushed Minseok again, sending the startled bunny crashing to the floor. And as Minseok looked up at him he was shocked to see Ilhoon was almost in tears.

“I-Ilhoon…hyung…” Minseok stammered.

He found himself sobering up quickly from the assault. All of a sudden he didn’t feel so self-assured anymore. It was like a spell had been broken and now he was back to his usual cowering self. What had he been doing? Really, what was he doing?

“I told you not to!” Ilhoon said angrily, “I didn’t want you to. I said no. Why doesn’t anybody listen when I say no?”

“I’m sorry, Ilhoon hyung, I didn’t mean to,” Minseok was babbling as he picked himself up off the floor, “I…I don’t know what I was doing…”

“Just because I’m in heat doesn’t mean you can just take what you want!” Ilhoon spat out angrily, “I’m not just your fucktoy!”

Minseok flinched at the harsh tone, shrinking in on himself now. He hadn’t meant to make Ilhoon so upset and it was distressing to him. Any effects the heat pheromones had had on him were now completely gone.

“I’m so sorry,” Minseok apologized again, “I don’t think of you like that, Ilhoon, really.”

Ilhoon blinked, something flickering across his face briefly before his expression returned to normal. He stared at Minseok, seeming almost confused, as if he was seeing the bunny for the first time. The hamster took a deep breath and shut his eyes tight. 

“Why did you come here?” he asked,“Minkki…what did you really want to do?”

His voice was no longer so angry and instead just sounded tired as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

“I…I don’t know…” Minseok said quietly, his hands folded in front of him, “I just…I didn’t want to be a baby anymore. And I thought you could help me. I’m so sorry Ilhoon hyung, I didn’t mean to make you upset…”

Ilhoon sighed, drying the tears from the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand.

“It’s alright,” he said, “It wasn’t you. It was just…something from a long time ago. I’m sorry I pushed you so hard.”

“I’m okay…” Minseok mumbled.

He stood there in awkward silence, not sure what else to say now. He didn’t want to make Ilhoon feel any worse, but he felt like he couldn’t just leave now either.

“So you really wanted to have sex?” Ilhoon asked bluntly and Minseok looked away from him, staring down at the floor as his cheeks turned pink.

“Yeah?” the bunny said, his reply sounding more like a question than an answer.

The scent from Ilhoon’s heat was still heavy in the air, but now Minseok was too ashamed to be feeling anything from it. He didn’t know what had come over him before, what had made him push himself onto his friend like that and ignore Ilhoon’s feelings. He couldn’t believe he had taken it so far. He wasn’t like that. He should have listened to Ilhoon. But he didn’t.

“You’re a virgin, aren’t you?” Ilhoon asked, “I mean, besides what you and Minhyuk did when you were drunk. You’ve never had real sex, have you?”

“No…” Minseok admitted, kicking at a stray shirt on the floor as he avoided the hamster’s gaze, “So?”

He felt slightly defensive at the question. 

“So, don’t you want your first time to be with someone you love, someone you can be mates with?” Ilhoon asked seriously, “And not just some hamster in heat?”

“I just wanted to get it over with…” Minseok mumbled, “So I can be grown up.”

“I don’t believe that,” Ilhoon replied, “I think there’s someone else you’d rather do it with. Another bunny maybe…” He gave Minseok a knowing look. “You know your scent changes whenever you’re close to him, right? I know how much you like Minhyuk…”

“Well he doesn’t like me,” Minseok snapped, “So it doesn’t matter. I should just do it with whoever then.”

Ilhoon frowned at Minseok’s harsh tone, realizing he’d struck a nerve by mentioning Minhyuk. But he was adamant in his position.

“Minkki…” he said, “I’m not having sex with you. I’m sorry. It’s just..I know you’ll regret it after. We both will…”

Minseok thumped his foot in annoyance. He had been feeling sorry for Ilhoon before, but now he was just irritated by the hamster’s tone. The way Ilhoon was trying to “let him down easy”. This was just like with Minhyuk all over again. Once again another hybrid didn’t want to do those things with him. 

Why? Why did everyone just see him as a baby when he was four years old? He was so tired of it. He didn’t want to be everyone’s little brother. He wanted to be someone’s mate. Minhyuk’s mate. He wanted Minhyuk to love him as an equal. 

“That’s fine,” Minseok muttered, “I’ll go. And you can just…fuck Baekhyun then!”

He stomped out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him, leaving the stunned hamster alone in the pheromone scented haze.

*** 

Minseok had ignored the calls from Soonyoung and Mingyu to join them playing a game downstairs and instead stomped all the way out into the backyard. He sat at the edge of the garden, poking at the leaves in the dirt as he pouted. 

Life just wasn’t fair sometimes. Why did that awful thing have to happen to him? If it hadn’t he wouldn’t be so scared now. And Minhyuk wouldn’t look down on him. Why couldn’t Heechul appa have found him sooner? 

Or why did his mom have to give him away in the first place? If she hadn’t done that, it never would’ve have happened at all. That evil man never would’ve gotten to him…

No, don’t think like that. It’s not their fault.  
Minseok ran his hand over his lower back, rubbing absently at the place where his tail used to be. He shouldn’t be thinking like that. It wasn’t Heechul appa’s fault or his mother’s that this happened to him. It was only the fault of that bad man. And now what’s done was done. It couldn’t be changed. The only thing he could change was how it affected him. 

If he didn’t want to be a baby anymore…he didn’t have to be.

Minseok looked over at the garden gate. In all the time he’d been with Heechul appa he’d never gone farther than here. This little patch of green at the back of the house was the only part of the outside world that Minseok had visited in a year. And even then it was fenced in at all sides, creating a protective barrier around him. It wasn’t truly “outside”. 

Minseok stared at the gate for a long time. Past there was the real world, the one he hadn’t seen in so long. Because it was the one that had hurt him. But if he went out there, if he finally faced his fears, he really would be grown up. 

Minseok stood up, feeling his heart begin to beat just a little bit faster as he walked across the lawn. He tried to still his trembling hands as he undid the latch on the gate and pulled it open just a crack. He peeked out slowly, scanning the side of the house for any signs of danger. But it was quiet. It was a beautiful spring day and everything looked alright. So he opened the gate a bit more. 

He waited there, letting his heartrate slow down a bit before pushing the gate open all the way. Now he was standing in the open space, completely exposed. As soon as he did it he wanted to run back inside, his fears telling his body to flee. But he stood his ground and stayed where he was, ignoring his urges. 

His legs were shaky as he took those first few steps forward. And every nerve in his body seemed to be on edge, anticipating an attack at any moment. But he just kept on moving. One step, two steps, three, four…

Before he knew it Minseok was at the end of the driveway and standing on the edge of the street. His heart began to pound in his chest, his breathing becoming heavier. But he pressed on. He turned and began to walk down the sidewalk, determined. He made it all the way down the block before his head began to spin and the world seemed to tilt in front of him. He sat down on the edge of the curb and closed his eyes tight, trying not to panic. 

His heart felt like it was trying to escape up his throat and now his breath was coming in ragged gasps. He could feel the adrenaline flowing through him, flooding his body with “fight or flight” signals. He was so scared. Despite his best efforts, he was still terrified to be in the outside world. He kept expecting at any moment that a horrible monster was going to pop out and grab him. He couldn’t stop those thoughts from coming into his head.

Minseok covered his head with his arms, rocking back and forth slightly. 

It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay….

But it wasn’t. He didn’t want to be out here. He wanted to be with Heechul appa. Heechul appa always made everything better. And that’s when he remembered it. The way Heechul appa always sang to him when he was scared. Minseok concentrated hard, trying to remember the words.

Memories of you that disappeared with the wind  
Even if it shines like the stars…

Minseok whispered the lyrics to himself, imagining Heechul appa’s soft voice singing it to him. And then he heard the voice for real.

“Minseok?! Minseok?!”

The bunny looked up to see Heechul standing at the end of the driveway. His owner ran towards him and Minseok was nearly knocked over onto the pavement by Heechul flinging himself onto him. 

“What happened? Minseok, what happened?!” Heechul was asking frantically.

Minseok couldn’t seem to find his voice. It was too hard to speak. Instead he focused on getting enough air as the dizziness he had been feeling before began to fade and his heartrate returned to normal. Heechul was squeezing him so tightly though it was still somewhat hard to breathe.

“Are you okay?” Heechul went on, “Are you hurt? Minseok, what happened? Talk to me!”

“I…I did it…” Minseok whispered, the words coming out through his laboured breathing.

“Did what?”

“I went outside,” Minseok said simply. 

“What are you…what did…Minkki, I…” Heechul couldn’t seem to string together a coherent sentence as he clung to the little bunny.

“I didn’t want to be afraid anymore,” Minseok said, trying to explain further, “So I went outside. And I just kept walking.”

Now that he was okay, now that Heechul appa was here, his fear had faded. Instead he felt almost in awe of his accomplishment. He had done it. He had actually done it. He had gone outside for the first time ever.

Minseok squeaked as Heechul hugged him so hard he felt like his ribs might crack. And he was surprised when he heard his owner crying hard.

“I thought someone took you,” Heechul said through his sobs, “I thought…I thought you were gone.”

Minseok suddenly felt like he might cry too as he realized what he had done. He hadn’t told anyone where he was going. And they probably never expected him to do it. So when Heechul appa had looked out into the yard and seen only an open gate, he must have thought the worst.

“I’m sorry,” Minseok said, “I didn’t mean to scare Heechul appa…”

Heechul stopped squeezing him and instead took the bunny’s face in his hands, trying to smile through his tears as he stroked Minseok’s cheek.

“It’s okay,” he said, “I’m just so happy you’re safe. I love you so much, Minkki.”

Then he kissed the little rabbit on the lips. It was different from the way he usually did. It wasn’t just short and sweet. It was full of feeling and passion and urgency. And Minseok found himself giving in to it right away. Maybe it was just the adrenaline. Or maybe he really was starting to grow up. Either way he immediately submitted to his owner’s need, kissing him back the way Minhyuk had showed him that night. 

This time it wasn’t embarrassing. It didn’t feel strange. It felt really nice.

For the first time that day Minseok was finally starting to feel better. He was proud of himself for making it down the street, he was so relieved that Heechul appa had come to get him and now he was excited by their kiss. All of that after being so scared he had nearly passed out. It was an overwhelming bunch of emotions. He was so distracted he didn’t notice anything else happening around him, he couldn’t. He couldn’t focus on anything else but Heechul right now. Heechul’s hands lovingly petting over his ears, Heechul’s lips pressed against his, Heechul’s tongue in his mouth…

Minseok was so focused on his owner that he didn’t see the other rabbit standing at the end of the driveway, watching them with tears in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Moon Crystal - M&D
> 
> Oops, the love circle may have changed into a triangle. ;)


	13. The Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get heated right before Mingyu's birthday party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is angst city. (I know what you're thinking, "Isn't that every chapter?" XD)
> 
> I'm sorry it's so long now between updates, I will try better for the next chapters! Also, I'm sorry for any Soonyoung fans for his lack of storyline. I do actually have a backstory for him, but I don't know when or if I'll get to it.
> 
> Also, in regards to 'alpha' and 'beta' etc being thrown around, basically male hybrids have four personality types:
> 
> Alpha (Ilhoon, Jihoon): Leader-like, strong willed, usually takes care of or is dominant over weaker hybrids. If in heat, will want to top betas and omegas, but will submit to other alphas. Hybrids generally view their owner as an alpha.  
> Beta (Minhyuk, Mingyu, Soonyoung, Donghan): Can also have leader-like qualities and strong personalities but will generally defer to alphas, unless they view them as weaker than they are. If in heat, can be versatile. They will top omegas, submit to alphas and will do either with other betas.  
> Omega (Minseok): Shy, quiet, and submissive to everyone. If in heat, will submit to alpha or beta, but may become hostile towards other omegas. Can be born omega or become one through trauma.  
> AB (Baekhyun): An alpha personality with a beta sexuality. This is an alpha who enjoys being submissive during sex. If in heat, will submit to alphas and betas, but may still top omegas.
> 
> So yeah, basically male hybrids going into heat was a genetic mistake and because of this it doesn't work the way it should like when it happens with females. That's why Ilhoon's heat makes Minhyuk and Minseok want to submit to him, instead of the other way around. Ilhoon would only be submissive towards Jihoon or Heechul, which is why he's scared of being around Heechul during that time and hides away in his room.

Don’t say it’s the end  
Forever  
Whatever happens, just like always

Whatever happens, just like always

Just like always

Just like always…

Jihoon put down his pencil in frustration. This wasn’t working. He couldn’t think of the right words. Usually he could see everything so clearly in his head, but right now it seemed muddled. Maybe he shouldn’t be writing right now, maybe he still wasn’t ready for this one.

Ever since Ailee had been taken away he had stopped writing the song he had been working on at the time. He just hadn’t seen the point. He had been working on it to impress her, to show his love and gratitude towards her. But then she was gone. And it hurt too much to keep going, so he had let it fall to the wayside as he worked on other things, forming other ideas and turning them into snippets of poems or lyrics. But soon he came to regret abandoning this song. It didn’t seem right. Ailee may have been gone from his life, but he wanted to keep her memory. He needed to keep going.

So recently he had started working on it again. Things had seemed to be going good, but now he’d hit a wall. Maybe there was just too much going on today. It was Mingyu’s birthday party after all and they were going to have a barbecue in the backyard later. And apparently Heenim had invited a bunch of his friends who owned puppy hybrids. Truthfully, Jihoon felt slightly nervous at the thought of being around so many dogs, especially if they were going to be as big as Mingyu.

He only hoped they would have the same personality as his new roommate. Jihoon had been annoyed at the dog’s intrusion into his space at first, but he quickly came to realize that having Mingyu around was an asset. The giant puppy was incredibly tidy, not only with his own stuff, but others’ as well and now Jihoon never had to worry about cleaning up or making his bed or even doing laundry, since Mingyu was always on top of it. The trash bin was emptied regularly. Clothes were always folded neatly and organized into drawers and the closet. Even Jihoon’s pens and papers were always nicely stacked and put away into the appropriate spots. 

And Mingyu never bothered him like the others did. He was fairly quiet when in the room and seemed to catch on fast that Jihoon was not to be pestered when he was writing something. And he always asked for permission to turn on a light or open the window, treating Jihoon the way an older hybrid should be treated. Still, the puppy wasn’t as shy or cowardly as Minseok. Every now and then he would show Jihoon something that interested him, usually from a game he was playing, or tell him a funny story about the others. Jihoon noticed Mingyu rarely used their tablet for anything except playing games and he never saw him pick up a book. He knew Mingyu couldn’t really write, judging from the picture book of a diary the dog kept, but he was starting to suspect that Mingyu couldn’t read either. 

It made him feel bad for the puppy. Jihoon had learned to read and write at an early age because of Ailee. She had spent time making sure he was just as smart as a human child, he had to be if he was going to survive without an owner. Of course it didn’t hurt that Jihoon seemed to have a natural talent with words and pretty soon he had surpassed Ailee in ability. That was when he knew he was going to be a writer. Some day. He just had to make it happen. 

Jihoon’s ears perked up as he heard a crash from downstairs, followed by a little yelp. He wondered what it was. Heechul and Minhyuk had gone out to the supermarket to pick up a few last minute things for the party. And he had seen the hamsters and Minseok out in the backyard setting some things up. That left Mingyu in the kitchen downstairs, still cleaning up from their breakfast which he insisted on making even though it was his birthday. He really did love to cook after all.

Jihoon didn’t have to think long on what the noise was as moments later there were the hurried thumps of someone big running up the stairs and then the door to their room was flung open. Mingyu rushed past him, not even greeting the cat, and dropped to the floor in front of his bed. Jihoon watched in fascination as the massive dog clumsily slid himself underneath the bed, his large body poking against the mattress above him. Jihoon might have laughed at the awkward sight, except for the fact that Mingyu was whining pitifully as he scrunched himself up against the wall, trying to hide himself as best as he could, his tail tucked in between his legs and ears flat against his head. 

Jihoon didn’t have to smell him to know he was clearly scared of something.

The small cat hopped off his chair and made his way to the bed where Mingyu was cowering beneath it.

“Mingyu…” Jihoon said, “What’s wrong?”

“Bad dog…” was all Mingyu said, still making little puppy-like whines.  
“What happened?” Jihoon asked, trying to keep his voice gentle, “Did you break something?”

Mingyu whimpered.

“Bad dog…made a mess…” he said sadly.

His whines were getting more insistent now, quickly turning into little sobs. Jihoon was no bleeding heart, in fact he found it kind of annoying how much Minseok cried all the time, but he had to admit, hearing the normally cheerful Mingyu so upset over something was tugging just a little at his heartstrings.

Jihoon got down on his hands and knees and peered under the bed so he could look the puppy in the eyes.

“Mingyu, it’s okay,” he said, “Whatever you did, it’s no big deal. No one’s going to be mad.”

Mingyu just shook his head, not believing what Jihoon was trying to tell him.

“Mingyu’s a bad dog,” he said, sniffling, “Bad dog, bad dog…”

Jihoon frowned. He’d never seen Mingyu like this. The clumsy puppy had dropped things or knocked something over many times and though he’d always been extremely apologetic about it, he’d never broken down like this. 

“You’re not a bad dog,” Jihoon reassured him, “Who told you that? One of those stupid hamsters?”

“Hyunsuk appa…” Mingyu replied and Jihoon guessed that must be the name of his former owner, “Mingyu’s bad. Always bad. Bad dogs get hit.”

He started to whine again, crying at the thought, and Jihoon’s mind went back to the drawings in Mingyu’s diary. He remembered the image so clearly. A drawing of Mingyu crying with bright red marks on his arms. Jihoon had closed the diary quickly at that time because he hadn’t wanted Minseok to see it. But later, before he returned it to Mingyu’s things, he had looked at the pages again. And what he saw made him so angry. The next drawing was of a man holding a belt in his hand. It had been scribbled over just like all the other drawings of Mingyu’s former owner, the father of the family, but Jihoon had still been able to make out what the drawing was about.

So he knew exactly why Mingyu was hiding under the bed now. He knew it all too well. When you’ve been hit by humans it stays with you. Jihoon could remember how on alert he always was for the first few months he lived with Heechul. Even though Heechul was always good to him and never gave him any reason to fear him, Jihoon had still always been cautious. That kind of feeling was hard to shake. Jihoon at least had been fully grown when it happened to him. But Mingyu had experienced these things when he was still a baby hybrid. And Jihoon guessed it had left a strong impression on the poor dog, leaving him terrified now.

Jihoon reached out to pet Mingyu’s ears, trying his best to comfort the trembling giant. He was surprised by how soft they were. He’d never pet them before, in fact he’d never really pet anyone’s ears before. Not since his mother…

“You’re not bad,” Jihoon told him firmly, “You’re a good dog. You’re just a little clumsy. But that’s okay. No one is going to punish you for being clumsy.”

“But I broke everything,” Mingyu said sadly, “It’s all over the carpet. A huge mess… Heenim’s gonna be so mad…”

He started to cry again and Jihoon held the dog’s face in his small hands, making him look at him.

“Heenim won’t be mad,” he told the scared puppy, “He’s a good owner. Besides, it’s your birthday, Mingyu. No one can get mad at you on your birthday.”

He had been slightly joking, but Mingyu seemed to take his words as fact as his face brightened slightly.

“Really?” he asked, “I didn’t know. I’ve never had a birthday before.”

“Didn’t you have one when you were a year old?” Jihoon asked.

Even he’d had birthdays. He remembered Ailee bringing home a couple of dorky party hats and a small cake for him when it was his first birthday. She hadn’t been able to get any proper birthday candles, but the half-melted scented candle she had taken from a bathroom somewhere had been just as good.

“Hyunsuk appa said hybrids don’t have birthdays,” Mingyu explained and Jihoon found himself wishing he could have a word with this human. 

A word, or a few claws.

“Well, he was wrong,” Jihoon said, “Hybrids have birthdays and parties and presents. And Heenim’s made a big party for you today and you get to have all the fun you want because it’s your special day. And there’s no punishments at all.”

He could see Mingyu’s tail wagging slightly now at his words. The dog hybrid looked into his eyes, studying Jihoon’s face closely.

“You promise he won’t be mad?” he asked, his voice tiny.

Jihoon stroked Mingyu’s ears gently as he smiled.

“I promise you,” he said, “No one will hit you ever again, Mingyu.”

I’ll make damned sure of it.

“I…I should try to clean it up though,” Mingyu said, “So no one else gets hurt. There’s glass and…”

Jihoon felt the dog’s ears flatten at the memory of the mess. Mingyu seemed to be getting distressed again at the thought of cleaning it all up.

“I’ll help you,” Jihoon said quickly, “Don’t worry. We can clean it up together and then no one will even know what happened.”

He held out his hand, gesturing for Mingyu to take it. The puppy didn’t hesitate as he let Jihoon pull him out from under the bed and help him to his feet. As he towered over the cat, Jihoon was slightly amused by the fact that Mingyu was more than twice the size of him, but still looked to him for reassurance. Maybe size didn’t matter after all. 

***

Jihoon surveyed the damage to the living room. There was kimchi spilled all across the carpet, staining the floor a nice vibrant red. There was also broken glass everywhere, creating a hazardous walkway across the kitchen floor. Mingyu had apparently dropped the large jar the kimchi was fermenting in at the point where the kitchen met the living room. Another few inches forward and the jar would have landed safely on the soft carpet instead of breaking on the hard tile floor. Or a few inches back and the escaped kimchi would have stayed in the easily cleanable kitchen and kept the carpet unscathed. The poor pup was unlucky as well as clumsy.

Jihoon grabbed a broom and began sweeping up the glass as Mingyu carefully scraped up the kimchi and threw it into the bin. 

“That stuff won’t come out,” Mingyu said miserably, indicating to the large red mark on the carpet that now looked eerily similar to a blood stain, “I ruined it.”

“Yes it will,” Jihoon reassured him, “When I first came here I was injured and I got blood onto the carpet. Heenim cleaned it up with some kind of spray. I think it’s in that cabinet there.”

He pointed to a high storage cupboard in the kitchen, way above everything else. Mingyu went to open it up as Jihoon finished putting the last of the glass into the bin.

“Which one is it?” Mingyu asked as he peered inside, “There’s a lot of stuff in here.”

“Um, I think it was green maybe? It was called ‘Clean Bright’ or something like that…”

He could see Mingyu staring in concentration. Then the dog held up a green container.

“This one?” he asked.

Jihoon could see it clearly said “Drainex” on it. He was starting to think his suspicions about Mingyu not being able to read were correct.

“Not that one,” Jihoon told him, not pointing out the difference in words, “I think it has white bubbles or something on it.”

Mingyu held up another green bottle with a white cartoon fish. 

“This?” he asked, “It’s kind of like bubbles…”

It wasn’t the right one either. Jihoon sighed. He’d just have to look himself. Except…

He walked over where the giant dog was standing. He barely even came up to Mingyu’s chest, there was no way he could see into that cabinet. He would have to get a chair or something, but even then he didn’t know if it would make him tall enough. Then he got an idea.

“Can I get on your back?” Jihoon asked, “Then I can see inside and find it.”

To his surprise Mingyu didn’t even hesitate. The dog immediately lowered himself down so Jihoon could hop up onto him. The cat jumped onto Mingyu’s back, letting out a little noise as Mingyu stood up fully. Suddenly he was way up in the air, his head and the top of his shoulders now higher than Mingyu. Jihoon looked around the room, noticing how different things seemed from this perspective.

So this was how the world looked like to tall people like Mingyu? It was kind of nice. But you probably had to watch your head a lot more often…

Jihoon peered into the cupboard and reached way in the back, pulling out the cleaning product he’d been looking for. But he didn’t climb down from Mingyu right away. He had just wanted to savour being up high like that for a moment more. Mingyu however, took that hesitance as his cue to ferry Jihoon over to the living room, like a pack animal.

Jihoon made an excited noise as his dog-hybrid-turned-horse carried him over to the stained carpet. Then he quickly composed himself. He didn’t want Mingyu to get the wrong idea and think he enjoyed being piggy-backed like a kid.

Even if he kind of did.

He quickly slid down from Mingyu’s back and sprayed the cleaner onto the stain. Mingyu watched in awe as the stain began to slowly lift and he was soon able to wipe it away with a cloth. Jihoon stood back, proud at showing the little puppy something new.

“Jihoon-ssi is so smart…” Mingyu murmured. 

Jihoon felt happy at the praise, but there was something he needed to correct.

“You don’t need to call me ‘Jihoon-ssi’,” he said, “You can just call me ‘hyung’.”

He chuckled as Mingyu’s tail began to wag back and forth happily. The dog hybrid would never be able to hide his emotions from anybody.

“I think it’s going to be a good birthday now,” Mingyu said.

“Yeah, me too.”

***

Minseok paused at Heechul’s doorway as he heard his owner give a groan of frustration. It was only an hour or so until the guests were supposed to arrive for Mingyu’s party. They had spent the whole morning getting everything ready and Minseok wanted to help with whatever he could.

“Is something wrong?” Minseok asked quietly, “Did we miss something?”

“No,” Heechul said, “I just can’t find the shirt I want to wear. The dark blue button up, with the red accents. I’ve looked all over.”

Minseok could see a pair of nice pants, socks, and a jacket laid out on the bed, ready to be worn. His owner was still dressed in his every day clothes that were looking a little worse for wear.

“I can help you look for it,” Minseok offered, “Maybe it got mixed up in our laundry.”

“Thanks,” Heenim said, “I really wanted to wear that shirt. If you find it, I’ll give you extra strawberries on your cake.”

Minseok clapped his hands together excitedly as he hurried off to go look. Of course he had wanted to help Heenim before, but now he had extra motivation.

He searched the hamsters’ room first, rummaging through their drawers and laundry hamper while Soonyoung sat on his bed, reading a comic book.

“You know, you could help me,” Minseok pointed out.

“I don’t want to take all the glory away from you when you find it,” Soonyoung joked, “I’m letting you get all the praise from Heenim here. Really, I’m doing you a favour…”

“That’s a really long way of saying you’re lazy,” Minseok replied and Soonyoung just grinned.

“I’m already in party mode,” the hamster said, “That means no work for me.”

Minseok sighed.

“Well, it’s not here,” he said, “I’ll check my room.”

The room was empty when Minseok entered. Minhyuk must have been somewhere else. The little lop searched through all their drawers, then the closet, then dove into the laundry hamper, but the shirt was nowhere to be found. He was dreading having to go into Jihoon’s room and figured he’d probably just abandon the whole quest completely before he did that.

Then he spied something sticking out from under Minhyuk’s bed. Minseok crouched down on the floor and looked underneath. There was a whole mess of things under there, mostly clothes it looked like. He pulled at the pile and a small mountain of Heechul’s things unfurled onto the floor. There were shirts and pants and oddly enough, Minseok noted, several pairs of underwear. There was also a pillowcase and some sheets, both from Heechul’s bed. Minseok spied the shirt Heechul was looking for amidst the mess and picked it up triumphantly.

“What are you doing?”

Minseok jumped at the sudden voice behind him. He relaxed though when he realized it was only Minhyuk. 

“I was just getting this,” Minseok replied, holding up the shirt in one hand.

“Who said you could touch my stuff…” Minhyuk said, his voice far from friendly, and Minseok was confused. 

“It’s not your stuff,” Minseok said, “It’s Heenim’s. And he was looking for this shirt.”

“Heenim?” Minhyuk repeated, raising an eyebrow, “Since when did you start calling him that?”

Minseok shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t like the way Minhyuk was talking to him now. Or the look on his face. It was slightly unnerving the way Minhyuk was standing there, watching him with dark eyes. But Minseok refused to let it upset him. He wasn’t going to be a baby anymore.

He evaded the other rabbit’s question and instead carried on with his explanation as he got up from the floor. “Heenim wanted to wear this shirt for the party today, so I’m just bringing it to him.”

He tried to leave, not wanting to prolong this any further, but to his surprise Minhyuk blocked his way.

“Give it back,” Minhyuk said.

His voice had a slight edge to it and for once Minseok found himself wary of the other hybrid, his instincts now seeing Minhyuk as a potential threat instead of his usual protector. He was sure his own scent was betraying him by now, letting Minhyuk know he was scared. But he didn’t care. He was determined not to back down like he always did. He wanted to be a big bunny and he was going to do it. Even if he was slightly trembling now.

“No,” Minseok replied and he could see the flicker of surprise in Minhyuk’s eyes at his defiance, “This is Heenim’s and I’m giving it to him.”

He tried again to leave, but Minhyuk actually held out his arm this time, barring the way. Minseok looked at him questioningly. He couldn’t understand why Minhyuk was acting like this. Minseok was only trying to do what their owner wanted. But here was Minhyuk trying to intimidate him, like he was doing something wrong. He wasn’t wrong here, Minhyuk was. So why was the older rabbit treating him like he was a thief?

“Put it back now,” Minhyuk warned.

His eyes were focused in on Minseok, his body taut and ready. Minseok had never seen him like this, so…alpha-like. He knew Minhyuk was strong, he’d felt those arms wrapped around him protectively many times. But this was the first time Minhyuk had directed that strength towards him so negatively.

The old Minseok would have listened right away. He would have done whatever Minhyuk said, even if he didn’t think it was the right thing to do. But the new Minseok, the one who had dared to go outside for the first time ever, was just a little bit bolder. He wasn’t going to give up on this, even if his hyung was kind of scaring him at the moment.

“No,” Minseok said again, “It’s not yours. Now let me go.”

He tried to quickly duck around Minhyuk, but the other hybrid was faster. Minseok squealed as Minhyuk grabbed him and threw him down onto the ground. The lop hit the floor hard, tears springing to his eyes in surprise and pain. Minhyuk had never been this forceful towards him before. Even when he had shoved Minseok away in the kitchen it hadn’t been like this. Minseok cried out as Minhyuk was suddenly on top of him, grabbing for the shirt. Minseok held fast as Minhyuk tried to pull it away from him.

“Give it back!” Minhyuk yelled at him.

“No! Get off me!” Minseok yelled back as he gripped the shirt tightly.

His adrenaline was starting to take over now, those old feelings from his attack coming back. What Minhyuk didn’t realize was that despite being so shy and cowardly in most situations, Minseok’s “fight or flight” response was extremely heightened. And when faced with a fight he would do everything he could to win it. 

They grappled with each other for a moment, then, summoning all his strength, Minseok pulled back his leg and kicked Minhyuk in the torso as hard as he could. The older rabbit fell backwards onto the floor and Minseok continued kicking at him harshly, pushing him away from him. Minhyuk quickly backed away further from the thrashing limbs and sat up, holding his stomach as he stared at Minseok in shock.

“Did you just kick me?” he asked.

His tone of voice was no longer so menacing, but rather he seemed to be in complete disbelief that Minseok had done something like that. Minseok just glared at him, the shirt still clutched tightly in his hands.

“You hurt me,” he shot back.

His side and arm ached from where he had hit the ground thanks to Minhyuk’s shove. So he wasn’t too sympathetic towards the other rabbit’s injury at the moment. Minhyuk slowly picked himself up off the floor and Minseok’s body tensed, fearing the stronger hybrid was going to start kicking him back. But Minhyuk just turned away from him.

“Fine,” he muttered, “Just take it. Just like you take everything…”

Then he left without another word, leaving Minseok still on the ground, breathing hard, his body shaking as he recovered from the adrenaline surge. Minseok sat up after taking a moment to process the situation. He stared numbly at the empty doorway where Minhyuk had been moments before.

What the hell was that about? Why had Minhyuk been ready to fight him over a stupid shirt? And what did he mean by “just like you take everything”? Minseok didn’t take anything from Minhyuk. He always shared. 

He was so confused right now. And hurt. Not just the pain in his body, but in his heart too. He felt like the Minhyuk he knew was slipping further and further away from him. That the kind hearted, caring bunny he fell in love with was fading away. Minseok looked down at the rumpled shirt in his hands. Technically he had won this argument. So why did it feel so much like losing?

Wincing at the pain in his arm he walked across the hall to the bathroom, sulking. He could hear the water running inside, meaning Heenim was taking a shower. He probably hadn’t heard the fight they had just had from in there. That was good. Minseok didn’t want Heenim to be upset. They were supposed to be having a good time today after all. 

Minseok opened the door slowly and poked his head in.

“Heenim?” he called, “I found your shirt.”

Heechul poked his head around the shower partition, smiling when he saw the bunny.

“Oh good, where was it?”

Minseok looked down at the ground, twisting the shirt in his hands.

“It was under my mattress,” he lied, “I must have forgotten that I took it. I’m sorry…”

“That’s okay,” Heechul said, “Thank you for bringing it to me.” He must have noticed Minseok’s glum face because he continued. “Don’t feel bad about it, Minkki. Today’s supposed to be fun, remember? You’re excited for the party, aren’t you?”

Minseok did his best to smile. 

“Yeah, it’s going to be fun.”

What a good liar he was turning out to be…

***

It was almost time for the party to start. The hybrids were already playing around in the backyard as Heechul finished getting some things ready in the kitchen. Well, all of them except for Minhyuk, who had insisted on helping Heechul. 

Heechul was slightly concerned that Minhyuk seemed moody again, but he figured the party would snap the bunny out of it. He just hoped he hadn’t done the wrong thing, being with Minhyuk like that the other night. Minhyuk had said over and over that he wanted to do it, that Heechul wasn’t forcing him or taking advantage of him, but the way Minhyuk seemed now concerned Heechul just a little bit. Sex always complicated things, no matter how hard you tried to keep it simple. He knew that from experience. 

He didn’t have much time to think about it though as the doorbell rang, indicating the first guests had arrived. Heechul hurried over to the door and opened it. And just like always he had to calm his heart in his chest. Even after all these years, after so much time had passed, it still caused the same reaction. But he couldn’t let it show. He had to pretend everything was fine, to show that they could still be friends, even after everything that happened.

“Hey! Thanks for coming!” Heechul exclaimed, beaming as he hugged Eunhyuk tightly.

Donghae was trailing behind him, holding a present in his hands and Heechul swallowed hard as he noticed how handsome his ex-boyfriend looked. Well, he always looked handsome, that was the problem, but he seemed to be extra handsome today, just to make everything that much harder. Heechul took the present from him, his hands shaking slightly as he gestured for the pair to come into the house.

He could feel his heart give a little flip as Donghae pulled him into a friendly hug and he tried hard to keep his composure. They’d met up many times after the break-up, after Donghae had ditched him for Eunhyuk, but it never seemed to get any easier.

He noticed Minhyuk move a little bit closer to him, perhaps sensing his owner’s inner turmoil and trying to provide comfort, but it only made Heechul’s heart ache worse. He had had love once, a long time ago, real love, but that was gone now. And now what did he have? Sex with a bunny hybrid. Like a freak.

He didn’t hear what any of them were talking about as he took their coats and brought them into the living room. His mind was clouded with thoughts of the past. And the lingering feeling of Donghae’s arms around him.

Heechul sighed to himself, shaking his head.

This was going to be one hell of a day…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Growing Pains - D&E
> 
> Fun fact: Mingyu was supposed to break the watermelon they brought home a few chapters ago, which is why I specifically mentioned it. But then there was too much going on with Minhyuk so I had to abandon that plan.


	14. Introductions, Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some new faces show up to Mingyu's party and new feelings start to surface

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are so many things that need to happen at this party, I thought it would be maybe only two chapters, but now I don't even know anymore. Blame the characters, they just do their own thing. XD
> 
> Also, I'm worried some non-BTOB fans might think Minhyuk is a jerk after reading this, but he's really not! He's actually the sweetest thing ever, it's just my own cruel plot devices making him all jerky. For proof please search for "Minhyuk and Naoki" on Youtube and watch an adorable video of him falling in love with his little 5 year old Japanese fanboy. :3
> 
> Also I am sorry for making a story that has Donghae (Suju) and Donghan (JBJ) in it lol. >_< I know that's super confusing and I didn't even realize it until I started writing this chapter. (Well at least I didn't have Minhyuk from Monsta X or B-Bomb from Block B show up!)

“I can’t do this anymore. I can’t lie to you anymore…”

“So, that’s it then? It’s over? Just like that?”

“I’m sorry. Heechul-ah, I’m so sorry…”

“It’s him, isn’t it? I’ve seen the way you two are. I’ve noticed it for a while…”

“I’m sorry, I can’t change how I feel.”

“Do you love him?”

“I…I don’t…I mean, I think…”

“Just answer the question, Donghae.”

“…yes. Yes, I do. I’m sorry.”

“It figures… I can’t believe…this whole time…”

“Heechul-ah, I never wanted to hurt you. Please…I…”

“Just go.”

“Heechul-ah…”

“Just leave! Now. I don’t want to see either of you ever again. Just go and be happy together, you bastards…”

***

Heechul let the painful voices of the past fade from his mind as he ushered everyone inside. There was a third person who had come along with Donghae and Eunhyuk, one that Heechul had never met before. It was a short dog hybrid with auburn colored hair, pointed ears, and a curled up little tail. He was sticking close to Eunhyuk as they stood in the living room, his hands folded in front of him, his gold coloured eyes unsure as he took in his surroundings. Heechul was so surprised by the hybrid’s unusual eyes that it made him somewhat forget about the awkwardness of inviting his ex-boyfriend and ex-friend/ex-rival/sort of friend again (he really didn’t know what to call Eunhyuk at this point) into his house.

“Ah, you must be Kenta,” Heechul said and he bowed to the little dog hybrid who was shyly coming into the room.

The hybrid bowed back deeply with a cute little crooked smile that showed off his fangs. 

“Yoroshiku…” he started in Japanese then quickly changed to Korean instead, “Ano…nice to meet you.”

Eunhyuk had mentioned to Heechul a couple months ago that he and Donghae had decided to finally adopt a hybrid. Apparently interacting with all of Heechul’s and Leeteuk’s had made them want one of their own. And they had just so happened to pick a dog, which was why Heechul had invited them over for Mingyu’s sake today. 

Still, Heechul couldn’t help but feel a tiny stab to his heart as he looked at Kenta. He knew the dog hybrid had come from Japan, Eunhyuk had told him that much, and it was clear now from looking at his colouring and tail that Kenta was a Shiba Inu. 

Of course. They just had to adopt the one breed that was Heechul’s favourite. And he knew they knew, at least Donghae did. He remembered showing his ex-boyfriend the pictures of animal Shibas he’d found online and telling him all about how adorable he thought they were and how one day he hoped he could own one, but that they were hard to come by in Korea so he’d probably have to go to Japan to get one.

He had to admit, it stung just a little to see Donghae taking his ideas and using them with Eunhyuk. 

“You smell nice.”

Heechul turned to see Minhyuk sniffing at Kenta, his nose scrunching up cutely as he took in the dog hybrid’s scent. He was leaning in close, apparently not one for personal boundaries, and it was somewhat amusing to Heechul to see a dog hybrid leaning away, looking shy, while a little bunny hybrid loomed over him, sniffing him with such authority. Sometimes he wondered if Minhyuk really was an alpha.

“Minhyuk,” Heechul laughed, “Shouldn’t you introduce yourself before you just start smelling someone’s neck?”

Minhyuk grinned sheepishly as he pulled back and bowed to Kenta.

“Sorry. I’m Minhyuk. Why do you smell like that?”

Heechul sighed at the rabbit’s forwardness while Donghae just laughed and Kenta blinked, confused, apparently not understanding the question. Donghae quickly came to his hybrid’s aid.

“Ii nioi…” he said, translating the question in simple Japanese, “Doshite Kenta-kun ii nioi?”

“Ah,” Kenta nodded, understanding, “I’m fox. Fox dog.” 

He smiled proudly as Minhyuk made an appreciative noise and quickly went back to sniffing him, much to Kenta’s chagrin.

“He’s a hybrid of a hybrid,” Eunhyuk said, chuckling, “Part fox, part Shiba. Apparently it’s really rare to find a full blooded fox hybrid, but crosses are really popular over there.”

Heechul was hardly listening to Eunhyuk’s explanation. Instead he was focused on Donghae.

“You speak Japanese?” he asked.

“A little,” Donghae replied, “I started learning a while ago. And now that we have Kenta I thought I should study it better. He’s still learning Korean, so I want to help him out.”

Once again Heechul felt that little stab to his heart. Donghae had never really seemed interested in Japanese culture when he was with Heechul, even though Heechul himself was very much interested. All those times he’d tried to talk to Donghae about a manga he’d read or some music he liked or even just a particularly good type of ramen and his ex had seemed completely bored by it all. But now Donghae was learning Japanese and had a Japanese dog hybrid that he had adopted on a trip to Japan and it was all just a little too much, wasn’t it? Apparently it wasn’t the interest or hobby that Donghae didn’t like. It really was just Heechul himself. The thought was more than enough to make Heechul feel like shit all over again.

But he hid it well. This was not the time for his selfish feelings. This was not his day. It was Mingyu’s. Speaking of…

“Let’s go out to the backyard,” Heechul suggested, welcoming a change of scenery and more people, “The other hybrids are all out there. I’ll text the other guests to come through the gate and meet us.”

He herded them all rather hastily out the patio doors, trying not to touch Donghae in too friendly a way as he did so, which just resulted in some awkward hover hands over the other man’s back. As they came outside the scene that greeted him was so perfectly “his hybrids” he couldn’t help but smile through his inner pain.

Mingyu was carefully making place settings on the picnic table, concentrating hard so as not to knock anything over. Jihoon was curled up in one of the lawn chairs in the sun, writing in his notebook with a furrowed brow. Minkki was digging in the garden, his little hands covered in dirt as he checked on the strawberries. And Ilhoon and Soonyoung were on the ground, the younger hamster squashed beneath his older “brother” as he whined in defeat, apparently once again the loser of one of their wrestling matches.

Everyone’s attention turned to the new guests though as they stepped outside and Heechul observed the different reactions from each of his hybrids. Mingyu’s tail began to wag happily when he saw the new dog hybrid. Jihoon bristled momentarily as he looked up, then relaxed and went back to his writing, trying to appear unaffected. But his ears were pointed back, betraying his true feelings of nervousness. Ilhoon and Soonyoung were both smiling as they got up off the ground and Heechul wondered if hamsters ever felt wary of anything. There was no real way to tell. They didn’t have a tail to communicate with and their ears always seemed to be in the same position no matter what was happening. 

And then there was Minkki. The little rabbit was frozen in his spot in the garden, looking at the newcomers with wide, unblinking eyes. Heechul had seen that stance before, when he’d first introduced Mingyu into the house. Only this time Minseok had nowhere to hide. He was completely exposed outside and that had to be frightening for him. Heechul quickly went over to him to soothe his anxiety. Even though Minseok was becoming braver these days Heechul knew the bunny still had a hard time meeting new people. He was familiar with Donghae and Eunhyuk by now, but even someone as small and unimposing as polite little Kenta was still a scary situation to the rabbit.

“Are you okay, Minkki?” Heechul asked, “I’m here.”

He stood close to the bunny, his leg right against him, giving Minseok something to hide behind if he felt the need.

But Minseok didn’t move at all. He didn’t look at Heechul either. He just kept on staring at the “predator” across the lawn, his body rigid, his senses on alert. The only part of him that moved was his nose as he sniffed the air.

“That’s Kenta,” Heechul said, speaking softly as he bent down towards the frozen rabbit, “He’s Donghae and Eunhyuk’s puppy. He came all the way from Japan and he’s very nice.”

“He smells different…” Minseok murmured, not looking away.

“Ah, yes,” Heechul said, “He’s part fox as well. He’s a fox-dog cross. That’s why he smells different to everyone.”

Minseok made a tiny little noise and Heechul wondered if maybe he’d said the wrong thing. Weren’t foxes natural predators of rabbits? Well yes, but then so were dogs and cats and Minseok got along fine with those. 

“Do you want me to pick you up?” Heechul asked.

Minseok was quiet for a moment, thinking about the offer, and then he surprised Heechul by shaking his head. 

“No,” he said, “I’m okay…” He finally broke his gaze with the dog and looked up at his owner instead. “But…can I hold your hand?”

The adorable look he gave with those big brown eyes was enough to make Heechul’s heart swell inside his chest. In an instant he forgot all about those old feelings with Donghae and was suddenly overwhelmed by the love he had for this little bunny. 

“O-of course...” Heechul stuttered, trying to keep himself in check.

He felt off balance now, like his head was floating away from the rest of his body that was desperately trying to stay on the ground. Minseok made his heart flutter at the best of times, but having Donghae here too, coupled with his new relationship with Minhyuk, it was all a bit much. He felt like he was being pulled in so many different directions and he didn’t quite know which way to go. 

But the feeling of Minseok’s small hand in his made him feel a little bit more stable. 

Gently, he led the bunny over to the others, where the two hamsters were crowding around Kenta in excitement. 

“He’s so cool!” Soonyoung exclaimed, turning back towards Heechul and smiling brightly, “He has really pretty eyes! Did you see, Heenim?”

“Yes, I did,” Heechul replied, “Just try not to overwhelm him, okay? And speak slowly. He doesn’t know Korean well yet. You did introduce yourselves, right, before you just jumped all over him?”

“Oh, I forgot!” Soonyoung said, then he turned back to Kenta, saying loudly and slowly, “Hi! I’m…Soonyoung…nice…to…meet…you.” 

“Nice to meet you” Kenta replied back, confused as to why he was now being spoken to like he was deaf. 

Heechul just shook his head. Soonyoung was very nice and friendly, but sometimes he was just a little bit foolish. Heechul then looked down at Minseok, who was gripping his hand fairly tightly now. He gave the nervous bunny an affectionate pat on the head with his free hand, his fingers threading through the hybrid’s hair reassuringly. He was about to attempt to introduce Minseok to Kenta when suddenly the pair of them were pulled apart as someone wedged themselves in between them. Minseok gave a little squeak as his hand was torn out of Heechul’s grasp.

It was Minhyuk who had gotten between them. The older rabbit wrapped his arm around Minseok as he smiled.

“It’s okay Heenim,” he said, “You can look after the guests. I’ll look after Minkki for you.”

He put both his arms around the little bunny’s shoulders, holding him protectively. (And effectively blocking him from Heechul.) Minseok gave a little whimper and a slight shake of his head as he looked back at his owner.

“That’s alright, Minhyukie,” Heechul said, “You don’t have to. You can go play with the others.”

“But I want to,” Minhyuk argued, smiling just a little too forcefully, “I want to help Minkki. And Minkki wants me to. Right?”

He looked at Minseok, still smiling widely, seemingly friendly, but even Heechul could sense there was something more behind his actions. Minseok looked away from the other rabbit, biting his lip as he stared down at the ground. Then he gave a little exhale.

“Yeah,” he said quietly, still looking down, “I’m okay with Minhyuk. You can go take care of the other guests, Heenim.”

Heechul could see the little bunny’s lower lip trembling. He was trying not to cry as Minhyuk continued to hold him tightly which made Heechul slightly concerned. He knew he could trust Minhyuk with Minseok, of course the older bunny would never hurt Minkki, but he knew how jealous Minhyuk had become recently and how fragile the older hybrid’s feelings were at the moment. 

Of course Heechul had no time to do anything as now the side gate was opening and more party guests were arriving into the backyard. 

It was Junhyung with his giant puppy, Donghan. The rapper was carrying a large tray of food while Donghan held a couple presents in his arms. 

“I’ll be right back, okay?” Heechul said.

And with an apologetic look, Heechul left Minseok with Minhyuk and went over to help his friends with their things. 

***

Minseok flinched as Minhyuk kissed his cheek. It was a normally cute act and it should have felt nice. But then why did it feel so cold? The other rabbit’s hand was on the back of his neck, fingers curled possessively as he held Minseok in a firm grip. No one else noticed as they were too busy fawning over Kenta or helping Junhyung with the food.

“Good bunny…” Minhyuk whispered, then he added mockingly, “Oh, I guess I shouldn’t say that. I know how slutty it makes you.”

“Why are you being so mean?” Minseok asked quietly, hunching dejectedly against Minhyuk’s hold on him.

“Because you don’t know your place,” Minhyuk replied, “You’re always trying to take Heenim away.”

“I’m not…” Minseok tried to argue, but Minhyuk cut him off.

“He’s mine,” he said, “Alright? So back off.”

“H-he’s my owner too…” Minseok stammered.

The tears were threatening to fall now. He felt like he was back in one of his bad dreams. The aura of Minhyuk was so strong around him and he couldn’t get away from it. He could see the others in front of him, so close, but they were too distracted. They couldn’t help him. He’d never felt more alone.

“Well you’re not the one who has sex with him, are you?” Minhyuk replied, “You’re not the one he really loves. He chose to be with me. Not you. You’re just a little baby to him. So stay away, okay? If you don’t want to get hurt.”

Minseok couldn’t help it now as he felt the tears slipping down his cheeks, falling to the ground like big raindrops. He couldn’t think of what to say back to all of this. He didn’t have any defense. He felt so small, so helpless against everything.

“I hate you…” was all he said finally, his voice breaking.

“Yeah, well, the feeling’s mutual.”

Minseok sniffled as the tears continued to flow. This wasn’t just a bad dream anymore, this was a nightmare. One he couldn’t wake up from. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t fight back. All he could do was hang his head and cry like the pitiful little omega bunny he was.

“Minkki!” Ilhoon exclaimed as he looked over at the pair and noticed Minseok’s face, “Are you scared? Aw, it’s okay!”

Yes, he was scared, but not for the reasons Ilhoon thought. He had forgotten all about the dog hybrid truthfully. Now it didn’t really seem so important. Not with the more insidious threat still holding onto his neck. As Ilhoon approached, Minseok reached out to him with a tearful look, silently begging for the hamster to come and rescue him. Thankfully Minhyuk finally let him go, giving him a shove towards Ilhoon, and Minseok all but fell into the other hybrid’s arms with a sob.

He couldn’t stop crying as Ilhoon held him and pet over his ears, reassuring him that Kenta wasn’t scary. Minseok didn’t bother to correct him on the reason for his tears and focused instead on calming down before Heenim noticed. He didn’t want Heenim to be concerned. He didn’t want to bring Minhyuk’s anger towards him again. But really, as strange as it sounded, he didn’t want to make Minhyuk disappointed. That thought more than anything was what made him get himself under control.

Even if Minhyuk was being mean to him, even if he was scaring him a bit, even if Minhyuk hated his guts right now, the one thing Minseok didn’t want to do was hurt Minhyuk. And if that meant staying away from Heenim he’d just have to do it.

“Aw, it’s okay,” Ilhoon said as he wiped the tears from Minseok’s cheeks, “You’re okay now.”

Sure. He was okay.

“Thanks,” Minseok said and he hugged the hamster just a little more tightly than he normally would have.

***

Leeteuk and Baekhyun arrived shortly after the others. The backyard was full of noise now with three extra dog hybrids added to Heechul’s mix, as well as the music blasting from the stereo speakers he had dragged outside. (He had of course informed his neighbours of his party plans. The last thing he wanted was a bunch of hybrids panicking at the sight of police coming over for a noise complaint.) 

He had received a text from Hani earlier saying that she and Hyojin would be late, so everyone should just start without them. Heechul wasted no time getting the grill all fired up and the meat (and veggies for the bunnies) ready to be cooked. With four hungry puppies he was sure they would be cooking for a long time and he wanted to get a head start. He was glad Hani was so easy going. He didn’t know much about Hyojin though. He had been an MC with Hani on a television show for a while and they had gotten to know each other well during that time. But her girlfriend was a bit of a mystery to him. She wasn’t a singer like they were. And when Heechul had asked Hani just what exactly was Hyojin’s profession she had been vague about it. 

“She works with injured hybrids,” Hani had said.

“Oh, so she’s a doctor?”

“No. She doesn’t treat their injuries, she just looks after them afterwards. And tries to find them homes.”

“So she works for an adoption agency?”

“No. Not exactly. It’s complicated. I don’t know how to explain it.”

Whatever Hyojin’s job was it meant that at the moment she and Hani were fostering a baby dog hybrid which was why Heechul had invited them. The little puppy was apparently only three months old, and had only just learned how to walk a few weeks ago, but according to Hani he was cheerful and lively and would be a perfect party guest. Heechul wasn’t too experienced with babies and he didn’t know how one would react being surrounded by so many people and other hybrids, but he trusted Hani’s judgement. He just hoped she wouldn’t be too late. Or forget about the party all together. She was a great friend, but she could be a bit scatter-brained sometimes.

As he set a plate of uncooked meat on the table Heechul turned around to grab the tongs and nearly tripped over Minhyuk who was right behind him.

“Ah, Minhyuk! Watch out!” Heechul exclaimed, “What are you doing over here anyway? Don’t you want to play with the others?”

Minhyuk shook his head.

“They’re playing kids games. I’m too old for that. It’s boring. I can help you with something here though.”

“I’m just cooking the food,” Heechul told him, “There’s not much else to do except grilling. Why don’t you go play?”

Minhyuk sat down at the table and leaned his chin on his folded arms, watching Heechul.

“Don’t wanna,” he said.

Heechul picked up a strip of cold pork with the tongs and held it up in front of Minhyuk’s face, waving it mock-menacingly.

“You really want to stay here with all this smelly raw meat?” he asked, grinning as Minhyuk’s nose wrinkled up in disgust and the rabbit tried to back away. 

“Ew, fine,” he said petulantly, “I’ll just go hang out with Leeteuk samchon then. If you want to get rid of me so badly…”

Heechul sighed.

“I’m just joking, Minhyuk-ah,” he said, “Come here.” He pulled the pouting bunny to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek as he patted the hybrid on the head. “I just want you to have fun today. You don’t have to check up on me all the time. It’s a party, just do whatever you want to, let loose.”

“I want to be with Heenim…” Minhyuk said quietly, looking forlorn with his chin resting on his arms again.

Heechul rubbed the bunny’s back reassuringly. 

“Alright,” he said, “But I’m going to be cooking a lot of meat, so no complaining.”

“I won’t…” Minhyuk murmured.

Heechul frowned as he turned the pieces of pork over on the grill. This was not the kind of behaviour he had been hoping for when he started this relationship with Minhyuk. He had thought that by giving in to the bunny everything would be fine, that things would go back to the way they were before. But Minhyuk was still moody and distant. Only now instead of avoiding Heechul he was extra clingy. Maybe Heechul would have to read another book on hybrids to figure this out. Maybe there was one about human hybrid relationships? Honestly he never thought he’d have to research that. Well, he never thought he’d be in another relationship actually.

It was happening all over again, he realized. He could hear that same conversation between him and Donghae. It was imprinted in his mind forever. He thought he could get away from all the drama if he just stayed away from humans. But apparently hybrids were just the same.

Shit, he thought.

He’d fucked up again.

***

“Come on, let’s go.” Ilhoon was holding open the door to the garden shed, motioning for the others to go inside. “We can’t play the game out here.”

Jihoon stood back, waiting to see what the others would do first before making any decision. Of course Soonyoung entered the shed without hesitation and Baekhyun followed soon after him. Donghan wasn’t far behind, dragging the oblivious Kenta with him. Donghan had been pretty much glued to the fox-shiba’s side ever since they’d been introduced and it was obvious he had a crush on the Japanese hybrid. 

That left just Jihoon, Minseok and Mingyu still standing outside.

“Come on, Minkki,” Ilhoon said, clapping his hands against his legs like he was calling an animal dog, “It’s okay, it’s not too dark. There’s still light from the window.”

Slowly Minseok moved forward at Ilhoon’s insistence. He stopped at the doorway and peered in, testing if what Ilhoon said was true. He seemed satisfied with the hamster’s claims after a moment and then he disappeared inside. Jihoon looked back at Mingyu who was standing behind him. The dog hybrid seemed anxious. 

“Come on,” Ilhoon said, exasperated, “You wanna play with us, don’t you?”

“I…I don’t like it…” Mingyu said, stepping backward slightly as he eyed the shed warily.

“It’s fine,” Ilhoon sighed, “It’s not scary. Look, even Minkki went inside.”

Mingyu’s tail wagged briefly, then stopped as he gave a little whine. He clearly wanted to play with the others, but he was still cautious, not moving from his spot behind Jihoon.

Jihoon had a hunch why Mingyu didn’t want to go in. He figured the dog hybrid’s former owner probably didn’t beat Mingyu in front of his children or wife and most likely took him somewhere else to be “disciplined”. (That’s always what they called it, didn’t they? Fucking humans…) Houses around here were pretty similar and there was probably an identical shed at Mingyu’s old house, haunting his memory now as he stared at this one.

Jihoon swiftly took the puppy’s hand in his and squeezed it tight.

“Don’t worry,” he said, “I’ll go with you.”

And once again he was surprised by how quickly Mingyu trusted him. The giant dog easily let himself be led in by Jihoon, following after the cat without any protest. Once they were inside Ilhoon came in as well and shut the door behind them. Mingyu flinched at the sound of the door clicking shut, a barely audible whimper escaping his lips, and Jihoon gave his hand another squeeze to reassure him. 

The others were all seated in a rough circle on the worn wood floor. They already knew what they were going to do. Ilhoon had suggested playing “Truth or Dare” after they had exhausted themselves running around and everyone had been interested in it, except for Minhyuk. The rabbit had opted out of the game to instead go off and pester Heechul apparently. Jihoon had no idea why, since Minhyuk seemed to do that all the time anyway and they rarely got to play games with so many new people. 

“Alright, let’s decide who goes first,” Ilhoon said as he joined the circle.

There was a quick match of rock, paper, scissors and then it was Soonyoung who ended up as the first victim. 

“Truth,” he said.

“Ugh, you’re so boring,” Ilhoon complained.

“I’m not doing dare on the first go,” Soonyoung said, “Like I’d trust you…”

“Okay, fine,” Ilhoon said, “You want truth, I’ll ask you a good one. When was the last time you had sex?”

The other puppies snickered while Kenta just looked slightly confused and Minseok looked down at his hands, embarrassed even when it wasn’t his question to answer.

“With somebody else?” Soonyoung asked and Ilhoon laughed.

“Yes, with somebody else,” Ilhoon said, “I know the last time you did it with yourself, it was this morning. You’re not that sneaky, you know.”

Soonyoung grinned. “Um, let me think…” he said, “…maybe like six months ago?”

“What?! Like…really?” Ilhoon asked in disbelief, “I was just trying to be funny…”

“With who? With who?” Baekhyun asked, interested now.

“Who do you think?” Soonyoung shot back.

“Ilhoon?” Baekhyun asked and Ilhoon snorted.

“Yeah right,” the older hamster said.

“It is a hybrid right?” Baekhyun asked, eyebrows waggling, and Soonyoung looked at him somewhat horrified.

“Of course! Aish, really...”

Baekhyun’s brow furrowed as he concentrated. He looked around the room, at Minseok, Jihoon, and Mingyu (well obviously it wasn’t Mingyu) and then he had a look of revelation on his face.

“A-ha!” he exclaimed, “Minhyuk!”

Soonyoung said nothing, but his giant smile was more than enough of an answer.

“What?!” Ilhoon exclaimed, “When? Where? Why?”

“It was when you were in heat. You two were busy…” Soonyoung said with a knowing look pointed towards Baekhyun as he giggled, “And we couldn’t take it anymore. Your pheromones were way too strong, Ilhoon…”

“Oh,” Minseok said suddenly, “Was that why you guys…” He trailed off when he noticed the others looking at him. “Never mind…”

Soonyoung chuckled as he saw the little bunny’s cheeks turning pink. “Yeah, that’s why we didn’t ask you to take a bath with us,” he explained.

“Wow,” Ilhoon breathed, “I had no idea…”

“Well it’s not really a regular occurrence,” Soonyoung stated matter of factly, “It was just an ‘in the moment’ kind of thing. It’s your fault, really. You and your smell.”

“Okay…so I have to ask now…” Baekhyun started, licking his lips unconsciously, “You’re both betas, so…who was the top?”

“Pfft, it was definitely Minhyuk,” Ilhoon piped up right away, “You think this one has any alpha tendencies at all? He’s a little mochi.”

“Hey!” came Soonyoung’s indignant reply, “I could have topped! You don’t know…”

“Yeah right,” Ilhoon argued, “You’re so soft you’re practically an omega.”

“Ugh, don’t call me that!” Soonyoung argued back.

“What’s wrong with being an omega?” Minseok asked quietly and the two of them stopped as they saw the hurt look on the bunny’s face.

“Nothing,” Ilhoon said quickly, realizing his mistake, “I was just joking around.”

Jihoon shook his head at the hamsters’ stupidity. How could they have forgotten that Minseok was an omega and used it as an insult against each other? Jihoon knew omegas were the least common personality type for male hybrids and often the punchline of jokes, but he would’ve thought that living with one for a year would have made the hamsters just a little more sensitive to that type of thing.

“Let’s just go to the next player,” Baekhyun suggested, “Soonyoung, you get to ask Donghan.”

Soonyoung tured to the tall, blue eyed Husky hybrid sitting next to him. 

“Okay, truth or dare.”

“Truth,” Donghae replied and Ilhoon groaned.

“You guys are so lame…” he muttered.

“Hmm, okay, I’ll think of a question,” Soonyoung mused, “Alright. If you could have sex with anyone in this room, who would you pick?”

Jihoon rolled his eyes. “Why are all your questions about sex?” he asked.

“Because that’s what’s the most interesting,” Ilhoon shot back, “It’s not like we’re gonna ask ‘what was the last book you read?’”

Jihoon’s tailed flicked in annoyance at the hamster’s sarcastic remark, but he said nothing.

“It’s not much of a question anyway,” Baekhyun argued, “It’s obvious who the answer is going to be.”

“Oh really?” Donghan asked, “Who is it then, if you’re so smart?”

Baekhyun simply pointed to Kenta who still looked slightly confused by everything and only smiled politely back. Donghan covered his reddening face in his hands, looking like a lovestruck teenage girl as he giggled.

“Good thing he doesn’t know that much Korean,” Baekhyun joked, “So he has no idea how much you want to mate with him.”

Donghan fell over onto the floor, hiding his face in his hands at the teasing. Soonyoung waved to get Kenta’s attention. 

“He…likes…you…” Soonyoung said, again loudly and slowly, and he pointed to Donghan who was practically rolling around on the floor in embarrassment.

“Yes, I know,” Kenta replied, which made everyone else laugh while Donghan curled up into a ball, smiling and cringing at the same time.

“Okay, somebody better pick dare this time!” Ilhoon exclaimed, “This is starting to look like a talk show or something. Who’s next?”

“It’s Mingyu.” 

Donghan picked himself up off the ground, still grinning widely at his little confession, and turned to the fellow giant next to him.

“Truth or dare,” he asked.

“By which he means ‘dare or dare’ because somebody’s gotta pick dare already,” Ilhoon added on.

“Okay, dare,” Mingyu replied, giving in to the hamster’s demands right away, much to Jihoon’s annoyance.

“Finally!” 

“Alright, I dare you to…” Donghan looked around the room as he trailed off and then his eyes narrowed in on Jihoon. “…kiss Jihoon!” he finished with.

“Ooh…” Ilhoon sucked in a breath, “Who knew we’d get such a dangerous dare on the first round…”

“Dangerous? Why?” Donghan asked innocently.

“The cat will shred anyone who tries to touch it,” Baekhyun replied and Jihoon glared at him, “No skinship at all. It’s a frigid little ice princess.”

Jihoon didn’t like how he was being referred to as “it” (and also being talked about like he wasn’t even there) but he figured getting angry would only prove the stupid dog’s point so he forced his face to remain neutral. 

“Well…you can try it I guess…” Ilhoon said, looking apprehensive.

Mingyu looked at Jihoon. 

“I don’t think he’d like it…” he said, “Can you pick someone else?”

It stung Jihoon just a little to hear Mingyu also talking about him like he wasn’t there. The puppy didn’t even ask him if he was okay with it, he just made the decision on his own. Did Jihoon really seem that cold to other people? Was he really such a “frigid ice princess” that even in a playful game his own roommate wasn’t willing to give him a quick kiss?

“Okay, how about you kiss Baekhyun instead?” Donghan suggested.

Baekhyun smiled at this new development and tapped his cheek, motioning for Mingyu to do it right away. Everyone seemed to forget all about Jihoon as they focused on Baekhyun now instead. Jihoon watched as Mingyu shuffled forward through their little circle on his hands and knees and leaned in to kiss Baekhyun’s cheek. But at the last moment Baekhyun turned his head and caught Mingyu’s mouth instead. The older hybrid placed a hand on the younger’s neck and pulled him closer, turning what should have been just a quick peck into a deep kiss. 

Jihoon couldn’t help it as he felt his tail swish back and forth behind him rapidly several times. He quickly willed it to stop, hoping the others hadn’t noticed. 

Mingyu was breathless as he sat back at his spot, his hand against his lips. 

“Wow…” he murmured, “That’s a kiss? I think I’ve been doing it wrong…”

The other hybrids laughed and Baekhyun gave him a little wink. Jihoon didn’t find it very funny. He didn’t know why, but he really hadn’t liked seeing Baekhyun kiss Mingyu like that. He tried to tell himself that it was just because he disliked Baekhyun and he was protective of Mingyu. But that feeling he had felt when he saw Mingyu’s awestruck face afterwards. That heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, like his heart had dropped. That feeling that made his jaw clench and his body go rigid. He knew that wasn’t just overprotectiveness. It was jealousy. He was jealous of Baekhyun.

Jihoon wasn’t paying attention to the rest of the game as the turn moved to Ilhoon next to him. He was too preoccupied with this new discovery.

Did he…

No.

…like Mingyu… 

No.

…like that?

No.

Maybe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending Song for the Chapter: Falling for U - Seventeen


	15. Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some new guests arrive, but old habits resurface

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, this chapter is a mess. There are certain plot points I want to get to in the next chapters and I needed a bridge to them, but I was having a bit of a hard time piecing things together. So sorry if it seems a bit all over the place.
> 
> Also, I just realized that I used everyone's real names except for Leeteuk and Eunhyuk lol. I might go back and change Eunhyuk's to Hyukjae at some point, but for some reason I just can't think of Leeteuk as Jungsoo. I don't know why.
> 
> (Oh yeah and "Hyojin" is LE from EXID if anyone is confused.)

He never thought he’d adopt a hybrid. It was something that had never really crossed his mind. Sure, he’d seen them out and about, he’d been slightly curious about them when he was younger, but “Yong Junhyung: Hybrid Owner” wasn’t really a title he’d ever imagined for himself.

That is until he came over to Heechul’s house that day. His friend had been trying to persuade him all week, ever since the crazy singer had just decided to take in four new hybrids and then quickly realized the mistake he had made as his house was overrun. Junhyung had been firm. “I’m not really interested” he had said, but Heechul had insisted he at least come over and meet them. 

And all of Junhyung’s protests had flown out the window the moment he had laid eyes on the tall Husky hybrid sitting in Heechul’s living room. Donghan just looked so…cool. He had dark black hair and black and white ears contrasted by the most stunning blue crystalline eyes you’d ever seen. They were amazing. And Junhyung liked things like that. Things that were different, a little bit weird, but beautiful at the same time.

It was at that moment he knew it was over. He’d already fallen for Donghan’s look. It didn’t matter too much what the puppy’s personality was. He just knew he wanted to own that beautiful creature. 

Oh course he couldn’t let Heechul know that right away. He couldn’t let his already ego-inflated friend know just how right he had been all along. So Junhyung had played it cool, continuing to be his usual reserved, quiet self to hide that little bit of excitement that he felt inside. But after a while it was hard to keep up such a front when Donghan was being so adorably affectionate.

As Junhyung got to know the puppy better he soon realized that while Donghan looked cool and striking on the outside, he was just a giant sweetheart on the inside. The hybrid had taken a liking to Junhyung almost immediately, curling up next to him on the couch and wanting to be pet while he happily answered all of the rapper’s questions. Junhyung had calmly obliged him, not wanting to make a show of it, but also really wanting to touch the beautiful little pup that was laying its head in his lap. 

Most people would’ve thought he’d hate stuff like that, given his image. But Heechul knew him better. It was true, Junhyung hated big shows of affection on camera or in public places. But in reality, he actually really enjoyed skinship. He just liked it when it was a private matter. And at that moment, even though Heechul was in the room as well, Junhyung was comfortable enough to let his fingers run through the puppy’s hair, scratching him behind the ears and smiling when the hybrid’s tail thumped against the couch in contentment. 

It would be nice, he had thought. To come home to someone wanting hugs and cuddles instead of his usual empty apartment. It would be nice to cook and feed someone else instead of just sitting down to his lonely dinner of rice and sausages for one. He was always so busy with song-writing and producing, he didn’t have much time to date. Besides that though, dating was so tiresome, wasn’t it? Too much planning and thinking and spending and sifting through emotions. Wouldn’t it be easier to just bring someone home that would instantly adore him?

He hadn’t made the decision right away. And it nearly broke his heart to see how sad Donghan looked when he left Heechul’s later that day. The puppy had started to whine, asking Heechul why Junhyung couldn’t stay forever.

“You can stay in Heenim’s house,” Donghan had suggested as he wrapped his arms around Junhyung’s waist and nuzzled his face against the rapper’s sweater, “It’s like a castle, there’s so many rooms.”

“Junhyung has his own house,” Heechul had told him gently as he pried the dog away from his friend, “And he has to go back now. He was just coming over for a visit.”

“But I like him…” Donghan had whimpered, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

The reaction shouldn’t have been surprising. He was only a year old after all and saying goodbye was still hard for a baby.

“I like you too” Junhyung had thought. But he couldn’t say it out loud. That part was just a little too embarrassing right now. So instead he had left the house with a quiet goodbye, trying to ignore the crying he could hear coming from inside once the door was shut. He’d then gone back to his apartment with the objective of “thinking it over”, but he knew it was useless once he entered the dark, empty space. There was no reason to think. He knew he was going to adopt Donghan. 

And somehow Heechul had known it too. The singer had sent Junhyung a video later that evening. It was of Donghan sleeping, the hybrid curled up on the plush carpet, hugging a stuffed dog in his arms. There was music playing in the room and Junhyung realized it was his own song. He could feel his face growing hot as the sound of his rapping came out through the tablet next to the puppy. Donghan looked so peaceful, so cute, falling asleep to the sound of Junhyung’s voice. Suddenly Heechul’s face came into frame. 

“Ya! When are you going to come get him?” his friend asked before the video ended.

The answer was “two days later” apparently. 

Junhyung had tried to tell himself he would give it a week, just to see if he was really sure and it wasn’t just “puppy love” (ha ha). But he couldn’t last that long. He just kept thinking about how lonely Donghan must have been, missing Junhyung, not knowing if he’d ever be back. He couldn’t do that to the poor thing for much longer. And Heechul had been teasing him too.

“You know, I think Shindong might be wanting to adopt him…” he had texted, “Wouldn’t they make a great pair?” And then later, “Donghan keeps asking if you’ll come over again. But I told him that you’re too much of an important producer with too many things to do… He seems sad…”

Junhyung tried to ignore the little jabs as he prepared for the hybrid’s arrival; buying new blankets and pillows, stocking the fridge with fresh meat, and buying a massive textbook all about dog hybrids that he devoted most of his free time to reading through.

But nothing could have prepared him for the way his heart swelled when the door to Heechul’s house opened that day and he saw Donghan again. 

“There’s my puppy,” he had thought, “Mine.”

Donghan of course had been overjoyed that Junhyung had returned, even without knowing that he was going to be adopted by him. He had practically knocked Heechul over as he had raced to the door, hugging Junhyung tightly, his tail just a blur as it wagged back and forth ecstatically. 

“You came back! You came back!” he exclaimed, his smile showing off two adorable little fangs as those bright blue eyes stared into Junhyung’s, shining with adoration, “Are you going to stay with us?”

“No…” Junhyung said, then quickly added as he saw the frown appear on Donghan’s face, “You’re coming home with me.”

He didn’t think it was possible for the dog to look happier, but somehow he achieved it.

“Really?!” Donghan asked, “You’re gonna be my owner?!”

And suddenly Junhyung was being showered with kisses as the puppy expressed his gratitude in the only way he knew how.

“Donghan, Donghan, easy…” Heechul was saying and he pulled the over-excited hybrid away from his friend, “You don’t want him to change his mind now, do you? Remember what I said…”

Donghan calmed down immediately at Heechul’s words. He stopped kissing his new owner and instead sat down onto the floor at Junhyung’s feet.

“Sorry,” he said, “I forget I’m big sometimes…”

The hybrid was slightly taller than Junhyung, so the rapper guessed the puppy was sitting down in an effort to appear smaller and more submissive. He wondered though just what Heechul had meant by “Remember what I said.” What did he tell Donghan about Junhyung? Not to give so much affection? Maybe his friend really didn’t know him as well as he thought.

Truthfully he hadn’t been bothered by it. Maybe if there had been more people around. But inside Heechul’s house, with his friend as the only spectator, Junhyung really hadn’t minded being kissed. He had kind of expected as much from a one year old puppy. 

“It’s alright,” Junhyung had told the hybrid who was now showing his appreciation in a much more subdued manner by clinging to Junhyung’s pantleg, “You don’t have to worry about that. Just be yourself.” 

“Thank you,” Donghan had murmured as Junhyung stroked his ears, “Thank you for being my owner…”

There had been many ups and downs since then, but not for one moment did Junhyung ever regret his decision. Or course sometimes his hybrid really tested him.

The puppy in question was strolling over to where he was now with a cheeky grin on his face. Junhyung was seated in one of the patio chairs on Heechul’s back porch, enjoying a nice glass of wine as he chatted with Leeteuk. He was immediately wary of Donghan’s entrance. All of the hybrids had gone into the shed earlier to play a game and every now and then their owners could hear them cheering or hollering excitedly inside. Now Donghan was the only hybrid out on the lawn while Junhyung spied a couple faces peeking out from the window.

He was about to ask the dog just what he was up to when Donghan suddenly called out “Yongieeeee!” and dropped to his knees in front of Junhyung. Junhyung immediately cringed at the cutesy way of saying his surname and prepared himself for something horrible that would no doubt be coming after that nauseating greeting.

“Saranghaeyo!” Donghan exclaimed, lisping the ‘s’ to appear cuter as he made a heart above his head, “Please will you buy me a cheeseburger? Cheeseburger, please!”

Once again the word was heavily lisped, making Junhyung almost wince in pain. Donghan was now doing finger hearts towards him and making some kind of strange “kku kku ka ka” baby noises as he batted his eyelashes.

“What…the hell are you doing?” Junhyung asked.

Leeteuk was laughing now as Junyung just hunched his shoulders at the aegyo assault, trying to escape back into his chair to no avail. At his owner’s reaction Donghan suddenly let out a rather manly “Aaaa!” and then flopped onto the ground, his hands curled into claws as he now cringed at his own sickeningly sweet actions.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he was mumbling, “It was my dare, I had to do it! I’m so sorry Yong-nim! Don’t kill me!”

Junhyung could feel the embarrassment creeping in as he realized Donghan’s display had now caught the attention of the other humans on the patio, as well as all the hybrids watching from the shed. Everyone was looking at him now, which was something he really hated when he was offstage. 

“Only if you promise to never do that again,” Junhyung replied, his voice level.

“I’m sorry!” Donghan pouted, “Did I make you mad?”

“No, that was just…horrifying,” Junhyung reassured him.

Donghan whimpered and flopped down at Junhyung’s feet, laying his head against his owner’s legs. 

“Sorry…” he mumbled.

But despite his initial embarrassment Junhyung found himself automatically stroking the hybrid’s hair. He just couldn’t resist it.

“Ah, that’s my puppy…” he thought. 

Mine.

***

Heechul covered his mouth as he let out a small burp. He had just finished cleaning up from lunch and now everyone seemed to be full and content as they lazed around the back patio. The hybrids were no longer running around so vigorously or clustered in a big group, but seemed to have broken off into smaller units to play some quieter games. Heechul was amused as he watched Baekhyun laying out playing cards like a seasoned dealer, explaining the rules of his game to Mingyu and Jihoon. Ilhoon and Soonyoung had somehow managed to rope Donghae and Eunhyuk into playing gonggi with them and Heechul only hoped there wasn’t any gambling involved since his two human friends would surely lose. And Donghan, Kenta and Minseok were lying on the grass with some paper and coloured pencils, busy creating new works of art.

Of course that left Minhyuk as the only hybrid who wasn’t playing. No, instead he was sitting on the ground next to Heechul’s chair, with his head in his owner’s lap. Heechul was idly playing with the rabbit’s ears as he chatted with Junhyung and Leeteuk, but it was more out of necessity than affection at this point. Because every time he stopped petting Minhyuk the rabbit would whine and headbutt Heechul’s hand until he did it again. It was starting to annoy Heechul now, but no suggestion that he made for an alternative activity seemed to interest Minhyuk. The bunny just seemed determined to stick to him like glue today.

He would’ve expected something like that from Minseok who was normally frightened by so many new people, but not from Minhyuk who was fully capable. But it seemed as if the bunnies’ habits had been reversed. Now Minseok was happily playing with a new dog hybrid, feeling safe enough without Heechul’s constant touch while Minhyuk was the one who needed reassurance.

Heechul looked over at the aforementioned lop lying in the grass with the two dog hybrids. It seemed Minseok was becoming braver by the day, ever since his little adventure into the outside world. 

“Let me see,” Minseok was saying to Donghan, motioning for the other hybrid to reveal his picture.

“It’s a tiger,” Donghan replied and then he showed the picture to Kenta as well, emphasizing the word, “Ti-ger.”

“Tora,” Kenta said, pointing at the picture before repeating after Donghan, “Ti-ger.”

“It’s pretty,” Minseok mused, “It looks like a Japanese painting.”

“Yong-nim has a jacket like that,” Donghan explained, “It looks so cool on him.”

“Ah, Heenim doesn’t wear things like that,” Minseok said, “He likes tracksuits.”

“But he looks so pretty today,” Donghan replied, “That’s a nice shirt.”

“Yeah…”

Heechul didn’t know why Minseok’s face fell at that comment. Was the bunny still feeling bad for taking his shirt? Or maybe he wished Heechul dressed a little more fashionably every day, like Junhyung?

“What is Minseoku picture?” Kenta asked.

“It’s a sandcastle,” Minseok told him, “At the beach.” He pointed to the picture and emphasized the word “beach” for Kenta to repeat.

“Did you go to the beach with Heenim?” Donghan asked, “I went last week with Yong-nim, but it was too cold to go in the water. We just took some pictures of the sunset.”

Minseok shook his head. “I used to go with eomma…” he said quietly.

If Heechul had had bunny ears they would have been standing straight up. He had been only half listening to Leeteuk and Junhyung’s conversation before this to eavesdrop on the hybrids, but now he ignored the two humans completely. Minseok rarely spoke about his past and Heechul never asked him about it, knowing the trauma that he had been through. He knew that Minseok had had one owner before the psycho tail cutter, and he knew it was a woman, but that was about it.

He remembered the first night Minseok had spent at their house. The bunny had woken up in the middle of the night, delirious from his injuries and the medicine they had given him. He had thought he was still in the hotel room with his attacker, so he had jumped out of bed and tried to run away. But he was too weak to get very far and Heechul had woken up to a terrified hybrid crying hysterically on his bedroom floor. Heechul had picked him up right away and held him, trying desperately to soothe the poor bunny. It took a long time for Minseok to calm down as Heechul sang to him and rocked him, but after a while the rabbit’s panicked cries turned to quiet sniffling as he buried his head in Heechul’s shoulder. And then Heechul had heard him whimpering “eomma eomma…” That had been the only time Minseok had mentioned his former owner, at least to Heechul. After that he was always calling for “Heechul appa” when he felt scared or nervous.

So Heechul was definitely interested now to hear more about Minseok’s past. But unfortunately for him the rabbit didn’t continue. 

“You should go to the beach in the summer,” Donghan suggested, “Then you can go swimming! Oh wait…do rabbits like to swim?”

“Yeah…if it’s not too cold,” Minseok replied.

From there they discussed their favourite summer-time activities while trying to teach Kenta new words like “ice cream” or “soccer”. Minseok didn’t say anything else about his mother and Heechul soon realized how much he had been neglecting his friends’ conversation as Leeteuk waved a hand in front of his face.

“Are you awake there?” Leeteuk asked.

“Yeah, are we really that boring?” Junhyung added.

“Ah, sorry,” Heechul said with a sheepish smile, “There’s just a lot on my mind these days. I just zone in and out all the time now.”

“You say that like it’s a new thing,” Leeteuk told him, “But you haven’t listened to me for fourteen years.”

“You’re not the only one he does that to,” Junhyung piped up.

“Yeah, we should start a support group,” Leeteuk joked, “Victims of Kim Heechul’s Disinterest.”

Heechul was about to protest, to defend his good honour, when the back gate opened up and a smiling bubbly young woman all but hopped into the backyard.

“Hani!” Heechul exclaimed.

He gently moved Minhyuk’s head out of his lap as he stood up to greet his friend. Hani hugged him warmly, then handed him a gift bag. 

“Sorry we’re late,” she said, “Hyojin had to go in to work for a bit today unexpectedly.”

“That’s okay, you’re here now,” Heechul told her, “So where’s the baby?”

Moments later Hyojin stepped into the backyard with a tiny puppy hybrid sitting on her hip. Heechul was worried the little thing might get upset at so many people in a strange place, but the puppy was grinning ear to ear and wriggling excitedly, his little tail wagging back and forth. He had a balloon in one hand and in the other…

That’s when Heechul noticed it. He tried to let his facial expression remain the same, tried not to show his surprise, but he felt his heart stop for a moment. 

The dog hybrid wasn’t holding anything in his other hand because there was no hand to hold it. And no arm either. There was nothing there from mid-bicep down, just the unused remainder of the hybrid’s shirtsleeve tied neatly into a knot.

Heechul was shocked. Hani had told him that Hyojin looked after injured hybrids, but he never imagined one with an injury so severe. The puppy didn’t seem to be bothered by his lack of limb though as he waved his one free hand around happily, making the balloon tied to his wrist dance back and forth. 

“There he is!” Hani said, smiling brightly at the little hybrid, “Heechul oppa, this is Jongdae. But we call him Chen.”

“He’s…” Heechul felt Hyojin’s sharp gaze on him, no doubt worried what he might say, “…so cute!” 

He meant it too. The puppy had an adorable little face that was made even cuter by his big smile. Though Heechul had been surprised at first by Chen’s injury, it didn’t take away from the baby’s overall cuteness. And Heechul was a sucker for cute things, after all.

The other hybrids were looking over curiously now as this new trio entered the yard and Heechul glanced back at Minseok worriedly. The bunny had never met any of them before and Heechul didn’t want him to be nervous. He expected to find Minseok frozen, eyeing up the newcomers anxiously. But Heechul was amazed to see Minseok instead just sitting on the ground calmly, looking at Hani and the other two with idle curiosity rather than fear. 

Heechul couldn’t understand it. This was three new people coming into their home, not just one. Minseok should have been afraid like he normally was. And then a thought occurred to him. In the whole year that Minseok had been with them Heechul had only ever brought his guy friends over to the house. And those friends only had male hybrids. So while Heechul’s other hybrids interacted with women outside at the super market or the convenience store or the park, house-bound Minseok had spent an entire year never seeing another female, hybrid or human. 

It was a man who had hurt the bunny. But Minseok’s first owner had been a woman. Could it be, that Minkki just wasn’t afraid of women, Heechul wondered. 

Donghan and Kenta had already left their spots on the grass, interested in the new puppy. Mingyu and Baekhyun were also coming over now too and Heechul worried that tiny Chen might get overwhelmed. But the baby only smiled at all the attention, reaching out to touch the faces of the curious dogs coming over to look at him and giggling as they sniffed him. 

And then of course it was bound to happen.

“He only has one arm,” Donghan said, “Where’s the other one?”

“What happened to it?” Baekhyun asked.

“Did someone hurt him?” Mingyu added, looking worried.

“No one hurt him,” Hyojin explained, “He was born like that. But he’s no different from any of you. He can still play with only one arm.”

She set the baby down on the grass to prove her point, Chen’s legs kicking excitedly as he was lowered. He toppled over for a second and Heechul gasped, but the baby expertly balanced himself on his one arm and pushed back up to a standing position. He seemed a bit wobbly on his chubby little legs, but no more so than any other baby his age. 

The other dogs were kneeling now as they cooed at the little hybrid, calling him to walk over to them and giving him kisses when he did. Heechul found his legs suddenly being smacked left and right by wagging tails as Chen toddled around the little group and he was reminded just how similar hybrids could be to their real animal counterparts. Sometimes they behaved so humanly and other times…they were just a pile of happy puppies jumping all over each other. 

Chen was lying down in Baekhyun’s lap now after being caught by him and was chewing on the other hybrid’s shirtsleeve. Hani quickly went to retrieve him, scooping the little puppy up into her arms after prying him off Baekhyun’s shirt.

“Chenny, no! No chewing!” she scolded, “Sorry, he’s still teething.”

“It’s okay, he can chew one me,” Baekhyun said, “He’s so cute.”

Heechul was amazed by how quickly the hybrids seemed to get over Chen’s disability. They had noticed it right away, of course, but they had accepted him after the briefest of explanations by Hyojin. He only wished humans could be the same way. He hated the way they judged others’ appearances so harshly. And he knew many humans would have a hard time accepting Chen the way he was. It made his heart break when he thought of the uphill battle the hybrid would face in trying to get adopted. He was glad that at least the baby had good people like Hani and Hyojin (presumably, Heechul still didn’t really know anything about her) to take care of him until then. 

Heechul turned around as he felt someone tugging on the bottom of his shirt. It was Minseok. The bunny was chewing on one of his ears as he looked at Hani holding Chen.

“He’s hurt…” Minseok murmured, concerned.

“It’s okay,” Heechul said, “He isn’t hurt. He was born that way. But see how happy he is? It doesn’t bother him at all.”

Chen was laughing and bouncing in Hani’s arms as Mingyu played peek-a-boo with him. Hani noticed the rabbit’s gaze and slowly came over to where Heechul and Minseok were standing.

“You must be Minseok,” she said, her normally exuberant voice now soft and gentle, “This is Chen.”

She held the baby out towards him and Heechul fully expected Minseok to cower behind his legs. But instead the rabbit leaned forward and calmly sniffed the other hybrid. 

“Bun!” Chen said happily, reaching out for one of Minseok’s ears.

And instead of flinching away, Minseok offered the ear to him, seeming completely relaxed in the presence of these two total strangers. Heechul felt so proud. Just a short while ago he had been concerned that Minseok might be stalled in his recovery. But now the bunny seemed to be striding forward with increasing momentum.

Chen reached out his hand and pet Minseok’s ear, babbling as he did so.

“Bun…” the baby murmured, “Nice…bun…”

“He used to live with another bunny so he must be so glad to see you,” Hani explained.

Minseok grinned as he looked at the little baby fondly.

“I’m glad to see him too,” he said.

***

They decided to open the presents soon after. Everyone gathered on the patio, seating themselves in a rough circle with Mingyu in the center. The dog hybrid was practically jumping up and down with how excited he was.

“It’s all for me?” he asked, tail wagging furiously, “Really? Everything?”

“Yeah, it’s your birthday, silly puppy,” Ilhoon told him, “So of course all the presents are for you.”

“Wow!” Mingyu exclaimed, “That’s amazing!”

Chen seemed to be in high spirits too as he jumped up and down on Hani’s lap. Mingyu’s energy was apparently contagious.

“Eomma, eomma,” Chen was saying as he looked at Hani, then he pointed to the pile of presents “Box! Box!” He turned to Hyojin after. “Appa, appa! Box!”

Hyojin sighed as Leeteuk looked over at her, smirking.

“He calls you ‘appa’?” he asked.

“Yes, I’ve been trying to get him to stop, but he still does it,” Hyojin said. She turned to Chen, “Chenny, no. I’m eomma too. Eom-ma.”

The baby didn’t seem to be listening. Hani turned him around to face her.

“Chenny, who’s this?” Hani asked, pointing to herself.

“Eomma!” Chen said, smiling big.

“And who’s that?” she asked, pointing to Hyojin.

“Appa!” Chen exclaimed and Hani broke up laughing.

“See, he keeps doing it because he knows you think it’s funny,” Hyojin whined.

“It’s cute though,” Donghae piped up, “Kenta just calls us Eunhyuk-san and Donghae-san. Sounds a bit cold…”

“At least you get a proper title,” Leeteuk said, “Half the time Baekhyun just yells out ‘Teukie’!”

“Well Junhyung wins for proper titles,” Heechul chimed in, “His name is ‘Yong-nim’.”

The others groaned at the too-formal sounding name and Junhyung sunk down into his chair, his ears turning red at all the attention suddenly focused on him.

“I didn’t suggest it,” he said, “He just called me that…”

Heechul thought of name his hybrids called him. He hadn’t suggested it either, Minhyuk had just started calling him that one day and then the others had followed after him. Minseok was the only one who called him something different, but lately Heechul had been hearing “Heenim” too from the rabbit instead of “Heechul appa”. He had to admit, while he was glad that Minseok was recovering, he was just a little sad that he would no longer be an “appa”.

“Which one do you want to open first?” Soonyoung was asking Mingyu.

The hamster was holding out his own present and moving it back and forth, trying to entice Mingyu to choose it first. But the dog pointed to a neatly wrapped box sitting on the table instead. It was Heechul’s gift. Jihoon was the closest to the table, so he retrieved it for the dog. But as he picked up the gift, Jihoon suddenly froze, his tail tensing and his ears sticking straight up. He put a hand to his head as he wobbled.

“Jihoon, what’s wrong?” Heechul asked concerned.

Jihoon frowned as his nose wrinkled up and he sniffed at the air. 

“I…I don’t know,” he said, “I just got dizzy for a moment… I think I just stood up too fast maybe…” He shook his head, as if to shake the feeling away, and then he continued back to the center of the circle and gave the present to Mingyu. The puppy hesitated in opening the gift, wanting to make sure Jihoon was alright first. “I’m fine,” Jihoon told him, “It was just a headrush…”

But Heechul could tell there was something else bothering the cat as the hybrid’s tail swished back and forth every now and then behind him. Something Jihoon had smelled or sensed had put him on edge. But if Jihoon himself wasn’t sure what it was then Heechul with his dull human senses surely wouldn’t know.

Mingyu was beginning to open his present now, but Heechul kept an eye on Jihoon, watching out for any other signs of discomfort from the cat. It was hard not to be distracted though by Mingyu’s huge smile as the hybrid opened the gift box.

Inside was an assortment of things from fancy spices to expensive utensils. Heechul knew how much Mingyu enjoyed cooking and he also knew how tired and cheap his own kitchen and its accessories were. He wanted the hybrid to fully reach his potential and maybe with some new things he’d be able to do that. 

He wasn’t sure how Mingyu would receive this present. Cooking materials weren’t really the standard gift for two year old hybrids. But Mingyu couldn’t have been happier as he clutched his new spoons to his chest.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” the hybrid exclaimed and then he practically launched himself at Heechul, hugging his owner tightly and planting kisses all over Heechul’s face. 

Heechul laughed as he was squashed down into his chair by the giant dog on top of him. He was happy that Mingyu liked the present so much. But that happiness was short-lived when suddenly Mingyu was pulled off of him. The dog gave a yelp of surprise as someone grabbed onto his ear and tugged him away from Heechul by it. 

It was Minhyuk. The bunny was still holding Mingyu by the ear, looking displeased, as the poor puppy whined and hunched his shoulders, immediately turning submissive.

“Get off Heenim,” Minhyuk told him.

Heechul couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He’d never seen Minhyuk so aggressive before. The other hybrids were also alarmed by Mingyu’s distress, but seemed unsure as to what to do. All except for Jihoon who was already standing up with his claws extended. Heechul knew then he had to step in quick if he wanted to avoid another slashing like with Soonyoung.

“Minhyuk!” Heechul said sternly, “Stop it! Let go of him now!”

Thankfully the rabbit listened to him right away. Free from Minhyuk’s hold, Mingyu slunk away to the others, who quickly surrounded him. Baekhyun nuzzled against him from one side as Jihoon pet him on the other, the cat’s tail now moving rapidly back and forth in agitation.

“What’s gotten into you?” Heechul asked Minhyuk, “Why did you do that?”

“That’s my spot,” Minhyuk said simply, “Mine.”

“’Yours?’” Heechul repeated, raising an eyebrow, “Minhyuk, you can’t stop someone from giving me a hug. Especially when it’s their birthday…”

Minhyuk stomped his foot as he grumbled.

“I just wanted to be with you…” he said, “But you just keep trying to get rid of me. Why don’t you want to be with me?”

Heechul groaned outwardly this time instead of keeping it in. He was sick and tired of this same routine. He knew everyone was listening to them now, although his friends were trying to pretend like they weren’t as they attempted awkward small talk with each other. 

“I’m not trying to get rid of you,” Heechul told him, exasperated, “I just want you to enjoy the party today without being at my side 24/7. You don’t need to always be with me!”

“Well you didn’t seem to mind when I was giving you a blowjob!” Minhyuk shot back.

Heechul’s stomach lurched. The whole patio fell silent at Minhyuk’s words. The other hybrids had been concerned with comforting Mingyu, but now all eyes fell on Heechul. Even Hani who had been bouncing Chen and cooing at him was now quiet. Heechul could feel his face growing hot, both with shame and anger as he felt the judgemental stares pointed at him. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his anger from exploding out as he glared at the rude little bunny in front of him.

“Go to your room,” Heechul said, his voice deadly calm.

Minhyuk’s defiant look had disappeared now, changing to apprehension. It seemed the rabbit knew he had pushed it too far. But Heechul didn’t care if Minhyuk was sorry now, not when the damage had already been done.

“B-but…I…I didn’t give Mingyu his present yet…” Minhyuk stuttered.

“I don’t care,” Heechul replied, “You’re done out here. Go inside now.”

Minhyuk started at him for a moment longer, tears forming at the corners of his eyes, but Heechul would not be swayed by it. So, with a little cry of frustration, Minhyuk turned around and stomped off into the house, slamming the patio door behind him. 

Heechul exhaled. He could feel himself shaking and tried to will his heart rarte to go down. He was so embarrassed and so angry, he didn’t know what to do. 

“Heechul oppa…” Hani started, but Heechul held up his hand to stop her.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” he said, “Just continue on without me. I’m sorry…”

He disappeared into the house as well, but he didn’t follow after Minhyuk. Instead he hurried into the bathroom downstairs and leaned over the sink, gripping the edges tightly. This whole thing was a disaster. Why did he ever think he could look after six hybrids? Or rather, why did he think he could get romantically involved with one without it turning into a fucking mess? He couldn’t do it right with human relationships, why did he think it would ever work with a hybrid?

He stared at his tired reflection in the mirror. 

“Face it,” he thought, “You’re just no good at this kind of stuff.”

He quickly splashed some cold water onto his face, trying to snap himself out of it. But it wasn’t working. All he saw as he looked into the mirror was a failure.

You failed at being a boyfriend a long time ago. And now you’ve failed at being a zookeeper too. 

Really, what was he good at?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Go Away - Yong Junhyung


	16. Peace Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heechul's friends try to reassure him and Jihoon makes a startling discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like the title says, this chapter is a lot of talking. But it's completely necessary talking lol! Also, I wanted to have some cute Chen and Minseok interaction in there, but then angsty Ilhoon and Baekhyun popped up instead. Hopefully I will get to little baby Chenny in the next chapter. :3

Heechul stayed in the bathroom a few minutes longer, trying to calm his nerves. He really didn’t want to go back out there yet and face all those judgemental eyes staring at him. But he also knew he couldn’t just stay in the bathroom forever. It was still Mingyu’s special day and Heechul couldn’t be selfish about it and hide away for the rest of the night. Even if he really really wanted to.

He jumped as he heard a knock on the door.

“Heechul hyung?” the voice on the other side asked quietly.

‘Hyung’. He kind of hated hearing that word coming from Donghae’s mouth, when before it had always been the sweeter ‘Heechul-ah’. But things were different now and he had to accept that.

“Yeah?” Heechul answered back, not wanting to open the door just yet.

“Look, it’s alright,” Donghae said, “I just wanted to talk to you. Please come out?”

Heechul might have refused if it had been someone else. Might have told them to come back in another five minutes. But he could never say no to Donghae. He tried not to think about the flip side, how Donghae apparently had no problem saying no to him, and instead, with a resigned sigh, he opened up the door. 

“I’m sorry,” Heechul said immediately and Donghae frowned.

“What for?” his ex-boyfriend asked.

“For being a freak?” Heechul answered with a bitter chuckle.

“You think that’s what we think?” Donghae asked, “Hyung, you’re not a freak.”

Heechul had to look away from him. He couldn’t take the sincere gaze Donghae was giving him. The atmosphere was suddenly stifling and Heechul found himself wishing it had been anyone else who had come to talk to him. Why did it have to be Donghae of all people? Why did it have to be the one person who made him feel so happy and so sad at the same time?

“I should never have let it go that far,” Heechul said, “I should never have crossed that line. I’m sick, I know. You must all think I’m such a terrible owner, a terrible person…”

“I don’t,” Donghae said, moving just a little bit closer and Heechul really hoped his face wasn’t showing just how hot it felt at the moment (really, why did it have to be Donghae?), “That’s why I came to talk to you. I wanted to let you know, it’s okay.”

“It’s really not.”

Dongahe shook his head as he laughed softly.

“Why are you always such a stubborn fool?” he murmured, “Do you really think you’re the only one who sleeps with their hybrids? Seriously?”

“I just…um, what?” 

Heechul wasn’t sure if he had heard correctly. He had been all ready to make his long apology, to repent his horrible sins, but suddenly his words were gone. What had Donghae just said?

“I can’t believe you’re freaking out about this so much,” Donghae mused, “It’s kind of cute how flustered you are. You, Kim Heechul, of all people…”

“Okay, I’m thinking maybe my brain might have just died back there, a little bit,” Heechul said, “What did you say before?”

“Hybrid-human relationships are normal,” Donghae told him, “I mean, once the hybrid is mature enough. Most of them want to be closer to their owners. I figured you knew that already, but judging from your reaction… Wow, you’re actually kind of a prude, aren’t you?”

He seemed amused, which was the exact opposite of Heechul’s feelings at the moment. His mind was still reeling a little bit. Of course Heechul knew there were others who did it, he knew it wasn’t anything illegal or something like that, but he had still always thought of it as slightly taboo. It was “other” people who did those things with their hybrids. Not him and his circle of friends. But did Donghae really mean…

“So do you mean you…” Heechul trailed off, not feeling confident enough to finish his question. (Guess he was kind of a prude after all…)

“Yes,” Donghae told him, “Kenta was fully grown when we got him. He’s four years old already. We let him sleep in our bed with us right from the start, but we never did anything with him. We wanted it to be his choice. After a while it just happened naturally. And he seems happier now, knowing he’s a part of our relationship, in every way.”

“I…I don’t know what to say…” Heechul admitted.

“I mean I always thought you and Minhyuk were probably together,” Donghae went on, “I didn’t really pay it that much attention, it just seemed like it would be a natural thing. And then I figured the other ones had each other, or maybe you took turns with them or something…”

Heechul felt sickened by that thought given Ilhoon’s past, but Donghae didn’t know about that so Heechul couldn’t fault him too much. Still, he had to correct his friend.

“I don’t do anything with the others,” he said, “And this thing with Minhyuk only happened recently. And only after he confessed his love to me. I would never just start randomly having sex with a hybrid…”

He trailed off as he realized that’s exactly what Donghae had done. But his ex didn’t seem bothered by Heechul’s words. Instead he was smiling, looking at Heechul with fond eyes. Eyes that seemed like they remembered their past together in an entirely different, and less painful, way than Heechul did.

“You always were a bit of a romantic weren’t you…” Donghae murmured.

He placed a hand on Heechul’s shoulder and Heechul knew it was meant to be friendly, but he couldn’t help it as his chest suddenly felt like it was being squeezed. Oh, really, why did it have to be Donghae? Why couldn’t it have been anyone else? Why did it have to be someone who still made his heart beat so fast?

He looked his ex-boyfriend in the eyes and felt his breath taken away by the look Donghae was giving back to him. It was just like the old days. When it had been just the two of them. When he had felt like his whole world revolved around this handsome man standing before him and Heechul was ready to give over his heart completely just to hear a few simple words.

“Donghae…” he breathed and he was well aware he was slipping into dangerous territory here, about to say things he knew he would regret, but he couldn’t help it.

He just wanted to go back to that time. Donghae looked too good and his warm gaze was familiar and comforting. Maybe, Heechul thought, as he stared into the younger’s eyes, maybe there was still a little spark inside that heart… 

Lucky for Heechul, a voice called his name as someone else stepped into the living room.

“Heechul hyung,” Junhyung said as he walked over to the two, “Are you okay?”

And Heechul had never been so grateful for the rapper’s presence before. He quickly looked away from Donghae and it was as if a spell had been broken. He felt kind of shaky all of a sudden, like he had just dodged a major bullet and Junhyung was his saviour. He tried not to think about what he had been about to say as he faced his friend.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” he said, swallowing hard, “I’m just sorry you all had to hear that from Minhyuk…”

“I just wanted to tell you, you don’t have to be embarrassed,” Junhyung said in that composed, quiet voice of his, “I know I’ve never really mentioned it before, but…” He gave a little glance over to Donghae, then looked back at Heechul. “Donghan and I are together too.”

Heechul was sure his eyes must have been the size of dinner plates, but he didn’t feel like he had any strength left to control his reactions now.

“What?” he asked, bewildered once again.

“I mean, it was kind of inevitable, don’t you think?” Junhyung went on, “It’s just the two of us. And I don’t really have any time to date…”

“Now do you believe me when I say it’s normal?” Donghae asked. He turned to Junhyung, “He’s so worked up over this, thinking he’s the only one who does it. He’s beating himself up over it.”

“It’s a lot more common than you think,” Junhyung went on, “There’s a lot of groups on Kakao dedicated to relationship advice and things like that. Actually, you should probably check them out.”

“You…and Donghan?” Heechul asked, his brain still not quite caught up with the speed this conversation was going at, “But…he was a baby when I gave him to you!”

Junhyung snorted as Donghae rolled his eyes.

“Aish, I didn’t do anything with him then,” Junhyung said in a tone that meant Heechul really should have known better, “It was probably about a year and a half, almost two years, before he made a move.”

“But…how can you…I mean, isn’t it weird?” Heechul sputtered.

“Is it weird with you and Minhyuk?” Junhyung asked and Heechul thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“No, I guess not,” he admitted, “Actually, it’s a lot more like a human relationship than I figured. Same fights anyway…”

Donghae looked away from him then and Heechul was pleased with himself for striking a nerve. 

“You should come back out,” Junhyung said, “Nobody’s mad at you. And you don’t have to be embarrassed. I’m sure Mingyu would really want you out there.”

‘Yeah,” Heechul agreed, sighing, “Alright, I’ll be out in a bit. Just give me another minute or so, would you? I’m still feeling a little tense.”

“Sure.”

His friends patted him on the back before leaving and Heechul tried to ignore the lingering feeling of Donghae’s hand on him. He couldn’t think about that anymore. What was done was done. And now he needed to sort his mind out and get back outside.

But not a moment later was someone else coming into the room. It was Hyojin this time.

“Are you here to tell me you have sex with your hybrids too?” Heechul asked somewhat snarkily and he instantly regretted it when he saw the look on her face.

“No,” she replied matter-of-factly, “Not that I’m judging you for doing it. It’s pretty common once they get older. I just wanted to give you some advice, since you seem to be having a hard time dealing with a very frustrated and territorial hybrid there.”

“Ah, I’m so sorry…” Heechul mumbled, rubbing a hand over his face, “I just don’t know what to do anymore. Things didn’t used to be this way…”

“Well, what was Minhyuk’s life before you adopted him?” Hyojin asked.

Heechul thought for a moment. He had asked Minhyuk about the first years of his life before, but Minhyuk himself had said there wasn’t really much to talk about. The rabbit had made a few friends, but then they got adopted out. It kept happening so after a while he stopped getting too close to others since they always seemed to leave him. Sangmin and Sunmi were nice, but it wasn’t like he really got to hang out with them or the other staff members. And aside from a few group outings he hadn’t done much except sit around the center, waiting for someone to come for him. Heechul remembered being saddened by the fact that Minhyuk could count the times he had even just been outside on one hand. (Of course after hearing that Heechul had then taken the bunny to so many different places during the first few months they were together to make up for it.)

“He didn’t really have a life,” Heechul said quietly, “He was in the adoption center for a little over two years before I took him home.”

“And how long was it before you got your next hybrid?”

“Hmm, about a year?” Heechul replied, “I got two of them then; Ilhoon and Soonyoung. I didn’t mean to get two, but they were in a terrible place. I couldn’t leave any of them there. Then we found Minseok about two years after that. Jihoon showed up last summer and Mingyu’s only been here a few weeks.”

“Well that could be part of the problem,” Hyojin said thoughtfully, “I’ve worked in adoption centers before. Even the good ones don’t have enough time or resources to give each hybrid the love and care they need. So Minhyuk most likely spent his first two years fighting for attention with other hybrids before he found you. Then for one year he was the only hybrid in your life and you only focused on him. But that began to change as you got more hybrids. Now he’s back in the same situation he was in before, fighting for your love. That’s got to be hard for him. He probably gets jealous of the others, even if he doesn’t want to.”

Heechul stared down at the floor. He was such an idiot. He should have figured this out way before he adopted Mingyu and turned his house into a full-on zoo. He had been so busy trying to fix the situation with Jihoon that he never stopped to consider Minhyuk’s feelings on the whole thing. Of course the rabbit would be feeling left out with so many others for Heechul to look after now. But he had thought Minhyuk would have been content with Minseok by his side, that the younger bunny could fill in where Heechul couldn’t. But now…

“He’s jealous of one in particular,” Heechul confirmed, “Minseok.”

“Any particular reason why?” Hyojin asked, her tone suspicious, and Heechul was sure if he had been looking at her and not staring down into the floorboards that he would have seen a raised eyebrow.

“I…I fucked up…” Heechul admitted, “I bought a collar for Mingyu, because he’s a dog, and they really like to wear them. He was feeling nervous without one, so I was just trying to be a good owner. But…I…I bought one for Minseok too…”

“Just Minseok?” Hyojin asked and Heechul already felt judged, knowing she knew where this was heading before he had even finished telling it.

“I wasn’t going to give it to him,” he weakly tried to defend himself, “Not yet…maybe one day when he had recovered a little bit more, I could ask if he wanted it… I just saw a pretty one and wanted to get it for him. But then Minhyuk found it and…he freaked out. He pretty much destroyed my entire room by chewing up everything in sight.”

“Well, that’s not very good behaviour, but it is understandable…” Hyojin said, “So what was your response?”

Heechul chewed at his fingernail as he continued avoiding Hyojin’s questioning gaze. He didn’t want to tell her how he had lost his temper and spanked Minhyuk. He already felt slightly like a criminal being interrogated now and he didn’t want to strengthen that feeling any more. He knew Hyojin had good intentions, but her aura was very commanding, so even friendly advice seemed a bit intimidating coming from her.

“He confessed his feelings to me,” Heechul said, skipping the part before, “He told me he was in love with me and he wanted to be with me. And I felt so bad for him, for making him hurt like that, I…I just went along with it. I told him I wanted to take things slow, but well, that didn’t really happen. And now we’re stuck in this mess. I just thought if I gave in, if I gave him what he wanted, he’d be happy. And things could go back to the way they were…”

He stole a glance upwards to see Hyojin nodding her head, thinking everything over.

“Well that explains a lot…” she said and Heechul steeled himself for whatever admonishments were about to come. He was not prepared however for her to say “You’re not a very good alpha.”

“Huh?”

“Hybrids see their owner as the alpha of the house,” Hyojin explained, “They need a strong owner who’s going to take care of them. Not just giving them love, but disciplining them as well. You haven’t been consistent with Minhyuk. You gave in to him when you should have punished him. But he feels like you neglect him at other times. So you reward him for bad behaviour, but you then don’t pay attention to him when he thinks he needs it. So he doesn’t feel secure anymore. He’s not sure what his position in the house is because his alpha isn’t leading him. That’s why he’s becoming more aggressive. He’s overcompensating for your lack of leadership.”

Heechul felt like his head was spinning. Everything Hyojin was saying made sense, but it was still a lot to process. He just never expected he’d be getting a hybrid sociology lesson at a two year old’s birthday party. But Hyojin seemed to know what she was talking about. And she seemed sincere in wanting to help him out. He could see why Hani was dating her now. Though she was just slightly scary there was something about her that made him want to open up. He trusted her to help him with his problems. If she was a hybrid she would definitely be an alpha…

“How do you know so much?” Heechul asked.

“I have a degree in Hybrid Behavioural Studies,” she said with a wry smile, “And I’ve been taking care of them for almost ten years. Believe me, there’s nothing I haven’t seen.”

Something flickered in her eyes then, a hint of sadness maybe, but it was gone so quickly Heechul wasn’t sure if he had imagined it or not.

He let out a sigh. “Okay, so now I know what the problem is. How do I fix it? I can’t just break things off with Minhyuk, it would crush him.”

“No, I don’t think you should,” Hyojin agreed, “Not yet anyway. You just need to be a firm leader from now on. Show him that you really are the alpha here. Make sure to give him attention at times when he doesn’t ask for it, but let him know that it’s on your terms. Don’t just give in to him whenever he wants something. And you need to punish him appropriately when he acts up. I know it can be tough when hybrids are upset and crying, but you have to do it. Otherwise they won’t have any trust in you as their alpha. The key is to just be consistent. Don’t flip flop or back out of things. It’ll be hard, but Minhyuk will be better for it in the end. They all will.”

“But, what can I do right now?” Heechul asked, “To punish him for earlier. I don’t want to hurt him. I could never hit him…”

(Again, he thought sadly)

“Corporal punishment isn’t the only way,” Hyojin said, “Didn’t you complete your military training? How did they discipline you then?”

Heechul thought back to his time in the military. It was seven years ago, but he could still remember it well. The things the drill sergeants made them do when they weren’t performing to the level they should have been. The times he cried when he felt like he couldn’t do it. And the feeling of strength and confidence when he finally did get through everything. It had been tough, but it was necessary. The soldiers never would have been able to pass training if the instructors hadn’t been so hard on them right from the beginning. 

And then he knew exactly what to do for Minhyuk’s punishment. It would be unpleasant but without really hurting the hybrid. And it would be a sure way to show Heechul’s alpha status. 

“I think I know of something…” Heechul said, “Alright. I’ll take care of Minhyuk first and then come back to the party.”

“That’s probably the best,” Hyojin agreed, “The longer you leave it, the longer he has to sit in anger. You should try to resolve these kinds of things as soon as possible.”

“Thanks,” Heechul told her.

He looked up as the patio door slid open. It was Jihoon this time. 

“Heenim,” the cat said, coming over to them, “Mingyu wanted to know if…”

He trailed off as he frowned, his nose twisting up as if smelling something awful. He faltered for a moment, putting a hand up to his head, and then his legs buckled under him. He would have fallen to the ground if Hyojin hadn’t caught him. But instead of steadying himself, the moment Hyojin’s arms touched him Jihoon suddenly squirmed away, twisting his body out of her grasp. He fell down to the floor anyway despite her attempts to help, half dragging her with him. Hyojin’s bag was pulled from her shoulder as Jihoon slumped down, the papers inside spilling out across the living room carpet.

“Jihoon!” Heechul exclaimed, “Are you alright?”

The cat was still holding a hand to his head, breathing hard as he half lay on the ground. Hyojin was kneeling next to him, looking concerned, but she seemed hesitant to touch him now.

“Yeah…” Jihoon breathed, “I don’t…I don’t know what happened…I just got dizzy again…or something… It was that smell again…”

He made to get up, but then suddenly he hissed, his ears flattening against his head as all his claws popped out. Hyojin instinctively moved backwards, away from the highly agitated cat.

“What is it?” Heechul asked, startled, “What’s wrong?”

Jihoon didn’t reply, instead glaring at something Heechul couldn’t see. The cat’s claws were out and ready as he panted heavily, his nostrils flaring. He seemed to be having a stare-down with an invisible foe. Then a look of confusion came over his face. The angry glare changed back to his usual facial expression and he retracted his claws. Jihoon sat up slowly, shaking his head, as if trying to shake something off once again.

“Jihoon,” Heechul said again, gently this time, “What happened?”

“I…I don’t know…” Jihoon replied, “I just…really don’t like that cat…”

“What cat?” Heechul asked, confused.

Jihoon shut his eyes tight. 

“Ah…nothing…” he said, “I don’t know what I’m saying. I think maybe I’m getting the flu or something… I should just go to my room…”

Slowly, he stood up, giving a slight grimace as he wobbled where he stood.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Heechul asked, “Can you make it up the stairs? Maybe I should help you…”

Jihoon waved him off.

“I’ll be fine,” he said, “I’ll just go lie down and I’ll be fine.”

“You’re sure you don’t need help?” Hyojin offered and Heechul saw Jihoon bristle, the cat moving just slightly away from her.

“Yeah, I’m okay now. Thank you for your concern,” the tiny hybrid said and then he slowly disappeared up the stairs, gripping the railing tightly as he went.

Heechul would check in on him later. For now he bent down to help Hyojin pick up the papers that had fallen out of her bag. As he handed them to her something seemed to tug at the back of his mind. He was sure it was nothing. Jihoon seemed pretty out of it and was probably just saying nonsense things in his confused state. But Heechul couldn’t help but think of what the hybrid had mumbled as he lay on the floor, “I really don’t like that cat.”

Because there, on the top of Hyojin’s papers, was a panther face logo.

It seemed familiar, but Heechul couldn’t place where he had seen it before. And soon enough Hyojin had gathered everything up in her arms and shoved the mess of papers back into her bag.

“Are you okay? You’re not feeling sick too, are you?” she asked.

“No, I’m fine,” Heechul said, “I should really go up and take care of Minhyuk though. Thanks for the talk. Can you let the others know I’ll be out soon?”

“Sure.”

And as he climbed the stairs and readied himself for Minhyuk’s discipline he somehow forgot all about that strange panther face.

***

They were clearing away the wrapping paper and other packaging when Baekhyun noticed Ilhoon was missing. The hamster must have wandered off at some point while Mingyu was opening the rest of his presents. Everyone had been shocked by Minhyuk’s outburst and Heechul’s sudden retreat into the house, but Leeteuk had urged them all to continue and still try to have a good time anyway. Of course he did, Baekhyun thought. Leeteuk was such a leader after all. 

The other hybrids were busy playing with Chen and hadn’t seemed to notice the oldest hamster’s disappearance yet. But Baekhyun noticed. He was always keeping an eye out for the other hybrid.

Baekhyun looked out over the yard and spotted Ilhoon sitting on the grass by himself on the far side of the lawn, near the fence. The dog hybrid left the others behind on the patio and went over to the hamster.

“Are you okay?” Baekhyun asked.

“Mm,” Ilhoon replied, not looking up as he absently plucked out strands of grass and tossed them aside.

His face was a mask, not showing anything he was feeling inside. Bakehyun had seen that look before. After a while… after it kept happening…Ilhoon had stopped coming back to the rest of them so upset. Instead he had just been stoic and cold, remaining stony even when they all gathered around him to try and comfort him to sleep. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Baekhyun asked and Ilhoon shook his head. But Baekyun continued anyway. He would never leave him like this. “Ilhoon…” the dog started.

“I don’t want to,” Ilhoon spat out, swiping at the grass with his hand, “Okay? Just go away.”

Baekhyun didn’t listen to him. He knew better than that. Instead he sat down on the grass next to the hamster, folding his legs under himself.

“I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think,” he told him, “This is Heenim we’re talking about. I’m sure if you just talk to Minhyuk you’ll find out the truth. It’s not what you’re thinking.”

“I thought Heenim was different…” Ilhoon mumbled, “I thought he wouldn’t do those things. But he’s just like the rest…”

“No,” Baekhyun said, “That’s not true. Ilhoon, I know you’re upset. I know you’re scared. But Heenim is not like…him. Don’t think that.”

“I can’t help it,” Ilhoon replied, his voice shaky, and Baekhyun could already see the cracks in the mask beginning to form, “I…I keep trying to think about something else, to just have fun, cause it’s Mingyu’s birthday, but I can’t help it. I just keep thinking about it. I just keep….feeling...those hands…”

He looked up at Baekhyun desperately, no longer able to stop a sob from escaping him, and then the mask crumbled completely as he broke down. Baekhyun quickly wiped away his tears, shushing him.

“Ilhoon-ah…” Baekhyun murmured, fingers stroking across the hamster’s damp cheeks, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. You don’t need to worry about anything, okay? Trust me. Heenim would never do anything to you. And even so, I won’t let anything ever happen to you. Not again. I promise.”

Baekhyun pet the hamster’s ears as Ilhoon let out another sob. The younger hybrid didn’t hold back now, his tears flowing freely and his nose dripping as he cried hard. He was a mess, but Baekhyun didn’t mind. He would gladly cover himself in snot for the hamster. It was the least he could do.

“I’m sorry…” Ilhoon choked out.

“Why?” Baekhyun asked.

“Because I’m so messed up,” the hamster replied.

Baekhyun bit his lip, his eyes shining now. 

“You’re not messed up,” he said, “Don’t ever think that. You’re perfect, just the way you are. Ilhoon-ah, I’m the one who should be sorry. I couldn’t protect you. I’m the oldest and an alpha. I should have done more for you. I…I should have stopped him somehow…”

And now Baekhyun was crying too. When he thought about everything that happened to Ilhoon, and how helpless Baekhyun had been to stop it back then, how he couldn’t seem to do anything for the hamster except comfort him after the fact… It was his one and only regret in life. And it ate him up inside sometimes. That was part of the reason why he continued to help Ilhoon through his heats, even though it was hard on him physically. It was true, he was an AB, an alpha that liked being submissive, but that wasn’t the reason why he gave himself over completely to Ilhoon several days out of the year, why he let himself be used by the hamster, to satisfy the other hybrid’s needs. In a way he supposed he was punishing himself. Trying to inflict on himself just a fraction of what Ilhoon had gone through. 

It worked for the most part. It eased the guilt he carried inside, just a little. But then there were times like these when Ilhoon’s pain was staring him right in the face and he couldn’t distract himself by being shoved down into the mattress.

“You did everything you could,” Ilhoon reassured him, “None of us wanted to be strays. We all just wanted to get adopted and get out of there. There wasn’t anything else we could do…”

“I could have tried harder…” Baekhyun argued and he was surprised when Ilhoon lightly smacked him on the head.

“You’re an idiot,” Ilhoon said, “You think I wanted that to happen to you too? There’s no sense in both of us getting hurt. I’m glad that it didn’t happen to any of the rest of you. And I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if you took my place…”

He had stopped crying so forcefully now, only a few tears slipping down his messy cheeks as he sniffled. Baekhyun wiped under the hamster’s runny nose and Ilhoon grimaced at the disgusting action before giving a small smile.

“I love you,” Baekhyun said, “You know that right? Even if we don’t live together anymore, you’ll always be my brother.”

“I love you too,” Ilhoon said, “And I’m grateful for everything you did. Everything you still do.”

Baekhyun blinked back his tears, giving his own little sniffle.

“We really should stop crying,” he said and Ilhoon laughed.

“Yeah…that happens a lot in this house...” he joked.

***

Jihoon stared at the tablet screen in front of him, trying hard to suppress the shudder that threatened to run down his spine, deep down into his bones. It felt like all the hairs on his body were standing up, all of his nerves frayed completely.

He had figured out what had spooked him so badly before. Like a bad dream it had bubbled up to the surface of his mind. Along with bits and pieces of memories that had long been hidden away. Sights, sounds, things he had thought were just nightmares, but he knew now were real. It had all been real.

It had started with a smell. That nauseatingly familiar smell that had instantly caused him to break out in a cold sweat, his mind and body both momentarily transported back to the lab he had been imprisoned in. That smell had triggered it and brought the rest of the memories back.

The beeping of machines. The sound of voices murmuring. And then screaming. Someone always screaming in pain. He knew now it was him. He was the one screaming while they tortured him, injecting him with different things, substances that swam through his veins like daggers and made it feel like his body was burning from the inside out.

And then there was that logo. That logo on the papers that had spilled out of Hyojin’s bag. The panther face. He had definitely seen it before.

The search result was still up on the screen. He had typed in “companies with panther logos”. And what had popped up had made his blood run cold.

“Dynatech Corporation,” the very first result had said. And there was the panther face staring back at him. That logo that he had seen on lab coats hovering over him, on paperwork passed across his immobile body as he lay semi-conscious and in pain, begging them to just kill him already. That logo that was the symbol of his captors, the symbol of the people who had taken his mother, taken Ailee, away from him.

Jihoon stared at the imposing panther before him, terror slowly creeping over his small body. Then he did something he’d never done before. He got down on the floor, crawled beneath his bed and hid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Who - Seventeen
> 
> I feel like this song really really goes with the end of the chapter. When I listen to the beginning of it I can just see Jihoon staring at the computer screen with the logo on it. It's so wonderfully creepy sounding, although I'm sure it was meant to be sexy/powerful. XD


	17. Lead the Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minhyuk is punished, Jihoon gets closer to Mingyu and the whole house is turned upside down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there was supposed to be Minseok with cute baby Chen in this chapter, but it ended up being Minseok with naughty Donghan and Junhyung instead. But I think it kind of fits better anyway. I don't know, looking at the overall theme of this one I think I'm just in a certain mood heh. ;) 
> 
> (Also, I actually did research into Minhyuk's punishment and how much the average person can do because of course I need realism in my gay rabbit love story... If you guys only knew the lengths I go to for this! XD)

Heechul didn’t bother knocking as he entered the bunnies’ room. He found Minhyuk sitting on his bed inside. The hybrid was holding one of Minseok’s stuffed bunnies by the ear and letting it twirl back and forth in front of him as he pouted.

“Go away,” was all he said and Heechul scoffed.

“I will not,” Heechul replied. Minhyuk tossed the stuffed bunny aside as he turned away from his owner. “And do you really think that’s how you should be speaking to me after what you did outside?” Heechul continued.

Minhyuk said nothing, only giving an annoyed little exhale in response. He continued to keep his back to Heechul, ignoring him in defiance. Heechul could feel himself starting to grow angry at Minhyuk’s reaction, but he forced it down. He had to remain level-headed here. He had to be the alpha.

“Minhyuk. Look at me.”

His voice was calm but serious, and it seemed to do the trick. Minhyuk turned back around to face him then, but the rabbit wouldn’t look Heechul in the eyes, instead staring down at the bed as he pulled the collar of his shirt up to his mouth. Heechul didn’t push for more. He figured Minhyuk not looking directly at him was less about disobeying him and more the fact that the rabbit was ashamed. Even if Minhyuk didn’t want to show it, even if he wanted to keep up an angry front, the tell-tale sign of his real feelings was already there by the way he was chewing on his shirt.

“You’ve been acting up a lot lately,” Heechul said, “And I haven’t really punished you for it.”

“You hit me,” Minhyuk pointed out and Heechul tried not to wince at those words.

“That was a mistake,” Heechul admitted, “I’m sorry for that. But you didn’t receive any other punishment after that, did you? Even though you completely destroyed my things. I think you got off pretty easy there considering the damage…”

Minhyuk remained silent, not having any counter-argument to what was essentially the truth. 

“And now today,” Heechul went on, “It was supposed to be a special day for Mingyu and you hurt him instead. He didn’t deserve to be treated like that, he’s never done anything bad to you. And then you made a big scene in front of everybody over nothing.”

“Not ‘nothing’…” Minhyuk muttered through the shirt between his teeth.

“What was that?” Heechul asked, his tone daring Minhyuk to try and make an excuse for grabbing Mingyu.

“Sorry…” Minhyuk mumbled instead, although not sounding very sincere.

“Well, that’s nice of you to say that, but you’re not getting away with just a half-assed apology,” Heechul replied, “You’re getting a real punishment this time. So, get on the floor.”

Minhyuk finally looked up at him now, seeming confused.

“Why…” the bunny started to ask, but Heechul cut him off immediately.

“Just do what I say,” Heechul replied, his voice still calm and level.

Minhyuk hesitated for a moment, seemingly torn. This new, more serious Heechul was obviously very different to him and it seemed he didn’t know whether to give in or not. It was only for a second or two though. Then, still keeping a cautious eye on his owner, he got down on the floor. Heechul tried not to think about why Minhyuk was being so cautious, tried not to think about the fact that a part of the rabbit still didn’t trust Heechul not to hit him again.

“Good,” Heechul said and he saw the rabbit’s ears twitch, “Now give me fifty push-ups. Quickly. I don’t want to be here all night.”

“What? But…”

“Minhyuk.” 

Heechul saw how the bunny swallowed hard, how his pupils seemed to widen at the sound of Heechul’s commanding voice, how all it took was his name said in just the right tone to make the rabbit listen. 

Still seeming a bit unsure, Minhyuk got into formation and began to do the push-ups. He started out at a good pace, but by twenty-five or so, he began to slow down. Heechul watched as the rabbit repeated the kind of training Heechul himself had had to go through years ago while in the military. 

Around forty push-ups Minhyuk began to falter somewhat, his arms shaking as he lowered and raised himself far more slowly than before. When he finally reached fifty the rabbit lay down on the bedroom floor with a little groan, panting from the effort. Heechul wondered if Minhyuk felt proud of himself for completing the physical task. But that wasn’t the purpose of this. This was supposed to be a punishment. 

“Good,” Heechul told him, “Now do fifty more.”

Minhyuk quickly sat up, looking at Heechul almost horrified. It had been tough to finish this first round, but it had been do-able. But to do another fifty right away? It would surely be agony.

“Heenim…” Minhyuk started, trying to plead, but Heechul just shook his head.

“Fifty more,” Heechul said, “Get started.”

Heechul was somewhat surprised when Minhyuk hardly put up a fight. Instead the rabbit simply grimaced and got back into his previous position. He knew Minhyuk was very strong willed and could get what he wanted easily. But he also knew just how much Minhyuk wanted to please others and this new, alpha-like Heechul standing over him must have really triggered the bunny’s need to obey.

Minhyuk was much slower this time as he moved up and down, trying his hardest to do the push-ups at a good pace, but failing. As he raised himself back up on the fifteenth rep he suddenly stopped.

“I can’t…” he whined, “Heenim…”

“You’re not even half-way yet,” was all Heechul told him, not giving in to the hybrid’s first pleas.

Then he gently pressed his foot against Minhyuk’s back, urging him to go back down. Minhyuk did as he was told, struggling through five more reps until this time he stopped on the way down. The rabbit lowered his chest all the way to the floor, his arms bent beside him, his body shaking.

“I can’t,” he whimpered, “I really can’t. Please Heenim…”

“Alright,” Heechul conceded, “Only ten more then.”

“No, I can’t…” Minhyuk tried to argue.

Heechul could hear the hybrid starting to cry now, but Heechul did as Hyojin said and ignored it. If he gave in to Minhyuk right away it would all be over. No, he had to stand by his words. If he wanted Minhyuk to do ten more push-ups, then the bunny was going to do ten more push-ups.

“Well maybe you should have thought of that before you said those things in front of everyone,” Heechul told him, “Ten more. Come on, you can do it, Minhyukie.”

Minhyuk gave another little whimper, but nonetheless he pushed himself back up and began counting out his last few reps. It was very slow, but he managed to get through them, Heechul watching in silence.

It felt so strange. Normally Heechul would be giving his hybrids words of encouragement through their tough times. But he had to remain cold right now. He couldn’t let Minhyuk know that it hurt him too to see his little bunny in pain. 

As Minhyuk finally shouted out the last number he collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily. His arms would definitely be sore tomorrow. Heechul remembered that ache all too well. Minhyuk didn’t get up right away and instead put his forehead down on the ground, hiding his face as he cried. Heechul could feel the pull at his heart, but he shoved the feeling away once again. He never liked to see his hybrids upset, but he had to endure it this time. He just had to keep telling himself it was necessary to do this.

Be an alpha. Be the leader. This is your house and they all need to follow your rules while living in it. “They’ll all be better for it” Hyojin had said.

“So…” Heechul said finally as Minhyuk continued to cry into the floorboards, “Was that fun?”

“No…” Minhyuk whined, his voice muffled.

“Do you want to do it again?” Heechul asked.

“No…” Minhyuk repeated miserably.

“So are you going to try and embarrass me by saying personal things in front of my friends again?” Heechul asked him.

“No!” Minhyuk said forcefully, the declaration half word, half sob.

Heechul knelt down on the floor next to him as Minhyuk cried pitifully. Now was the part Heechul could actually enjoy. He had given Minhyuk his punishment. A fair one this time, one that wasn’t done in the heat of anger. But that was only half of being an alpha. He couldn’t only discipline, that would just make him a tyrant. He needed to show the poor little bunny that he was still loved too. That he was secure, with Heechul above him in their hierarchy.

He softly pet the rabbit’s ears, hating how Minhyuk flinched initially at his touch. He didn’t say anything for a minute or so, just continued stroking the crying bunny’s ears, helping him to calm down. Then he moved on to Minhyuk’s back, petting him gently as if the hybrid was a real rabbit.

“It’s okay, Minhyukie,” Heechul said quietly, “It’s okay. I know you’re a good bunny…”

“No I’m not…” Minhyuk said sadly, his words still muffled by the floor he was talking into.

“You are,” Heechul reassured him, “You did some bad things, but that doesn’t make you a bad hybrid.”

“But…I…” 

The rabbit said something else quietly, but Heechul couldn’t hear since it was half-spoken into the floor.

“What was that?” Heechul asked, fingers running gently through the bunny’s hair.

Minhyuk sat up slowly, wiping at his eyes as he turned around to face his owner.

“I don’t know what do to anymore…” he said, “I just get so angry sometimes, it’s like I can’t stop it. I don’t want to feel that way. But it keeps happening and…I…I don’t feel like myself anymore…”

He hid his face in his hands, unable to look at his owner any longer and Heechul pulled him into a hug. He wanted to tell the rabbit why he was feeling this way, why it was Heechul’s own fault for collecting a bunch of hybrids like Pokemon and then just expecting them to sort themselves out. But he knew that wouldn’t be very “alpha” of him. He had to convince Minhyuk that he was the leader and that he automatically knew best. If this relationship was to work they couldn’t be equals. One had to be higher than the other.

“It’s okay,” was all Heechul told him, “From now on, it’ll be okay.”

Then he did something he didn’t usually. He pulled Minhyuk onto his lap, holding him the way he would with Minseok. During the last few weeks a position like this might have ended up with the two of them doing something a little less innocent than just hugging. But for now Heechul only stroked the rabbit’s ears as he rocked him, the same way he did with Minseok whenever the younger bunny was upset. 

“I’m sorry…” Minhyuk murmured into his shoulder. 

I’m sorry too, Heechul thought. But he didn’t say it out loud. Instead he only held Minhyuk tighter. 

I’m sorry I didn’t think things through enough. I’m sorry for being selfish. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you weren’t good enough for me. Because you are everything to me.

He didn’t say any of it. It was alright, he knew words didn’t matter that much anyway. He needed to show his love. The party downstairs could wait. For once he was going to put Minhyuk completely first, not just as an afterthought to everything else that was going on. So he stayed on the floor, hugging the bunny to him. Minhyuk was quiet now, having stopped crying and instead was nuzzled into Heechul’s neck, his arms and legs wrapped around his owner. And Heechul felt a pang in his heart when he realized this was all Minhyuk wanted, wasn’t it? Just to be treated like Minseok. Just to be loved the same.

I’ll give it to you from now on, Heechul thought. I’ll stop thinking of you like a human partner and remember to take care of you like a hybrid instead. 

I’ll be your alpha.

***

“Come on Donghan, it’s time to go.”

Minseok watched as Junhyung tried to persuade his hybrid to leave the backyard, but Donghan was apparently having none of it. The Husky hybrid was holding onto Kenta’s hand, refusing to budge from his spot on the lawn.

“Nooo…” the dog whined, “I don’t want to… I want to stay with him…”

“Kenta has to go back with his owners too,” Junhyung told him, “You can see him another time.”

“No I won’t,” Donghan pouted, “I’ll never see him again! I hardly ever get to see Baekhyun or Soonyoung and Ilhoon anymore. You never take me out…”

Junhyung sighed. “I promise, you can get together with Kenta again, really soon, alright? But we have to go now.”

Donghan didn’t listen to him. Instead he wrapped his arms around Kenta and began whimpering like a little puppy as he stood his ground.

“Donghan,” was all Junhyung said, the name like a warning.

Minseok could feel the sudden change in the air, could feel his own body responding. Suddenly the little bunny was paying very close attention to the situation, his ears tuned in to Junhyung’s voice. He wasn’t scared, though his body was on alert. It was a different sensation from fear. It was his need to submit. He had come to realize after living in the adoption center after his first family that this was an omega thing. That when in the presence of a strong alpha he would feel differently than with betas or other omegas. He felt it somewhat when around Heenim or Ilhoon or Jihoon, but they rarely asserted themselves like this. Junhyung’s aura was definitely much more alpha-like and it was affecting Minseok now. More so than Donghan it seemed.

Minseok watched, almost enthralled, as Donghan still refused to come to Junhyung. Kenta seemed to be growing uncomfortable by the stand-off now as he tried to wriggle out of the Husky’s embrace. 

“I want to stay with Kenta…” Donghan whined, “He’s my friend. And he’s so pretty and he smells nice…”

Junhyung just raised an eyebrow, watching the defiant puppy calmly, and Minseok could fill his own heartrate accelerating as he sucked in a breath. Junhyung looked so commanding right now. Why wasn’t Donghan listening to him, the bunny wondered. Why didn’t he want to be good for his owner? Minseok would be good. He’d be so good…

“Fine,” Juhyung said, “I guess you need this.”

He pulled something out from his bag and Donghan’s eyes widened. 

“Not here…” the hybrid stuttered, his face beginning to turn red.

“Well, you won’t listen so now everyone will see what happens when you’re a bad dog,” Junhyung told him.

He was smirking slightly now. His voice was low, but it seemed more amused than menacing and Minseok had to supress a shiver from running through him at the sound of it. The rabbit couldn’t see what Junhyung was holding. And he wasn’t sure if he should look away or not, feeling a bit nervous now about what sort of punishment was coming, but unable to take his eyes off the pair.

Junhyung approached the dog hybrid and hooked his finger under his collar, pulling Donghan towards him. Kenta used the opportunity to slip out of Donghan’s grasp and scurry away, back to Donghae and Eunhyuk. Apparently he didn’t have quite the same need to stay together as Donghan did, Minseok noted. 

“It’s a good thing I brought this,” Junhyung mused.

Minseok felt even more like the air was charged around him as he saw Junhyung take the long black leash he was holding and clip it onto Donghan’s collar. The bunny had never known any other owners to be as alpha as this and it was sort of exhilarating watching it happen before him. Leeteuk was always getting pushed around by Baekhyun it seemed like and Heenim gave in to the others whenever they put up even the slightest resistance. But Junhyung was not fooling around.

Donghan was still whimpering, his face a nice shade of crimson as Junhyung tugged at the leash.

“Say goodbye to your friends,” Junhyung said.

“But…it’s embarrassing…” Donghan whined, “Don’t make me do it like this.”

“Say goodbye properly,” Junhyung told him and suddenly Minseok realized they were coming over to him.

“B-bye Minkki…” Donghan stuttered, giving the rabbit a proper bow.

“Goodbye Minseok,” Junhyung said, Donghan’s leash still held tightly in his hand as he gave Minseok a little nod.

Minseok quickly got down on the ground, giving the deepest and most respectful bow back to Junhyung, his arms folded under him, his forehead touching the grass. It was the bow they usually did on holidays, like when they were in front of their elders on New Year’s. Minseok had been shown how by his mother, but he had never had to do it while living with Heenim. Heechul didn’t take the holidays as seriously and so far nobody else had sparked that urge inside him, until now.

“Alright, come on,” Junhyung said, gently pulling Donghan along, “Let’s say goodbye to the others.”

“Please take it off…” Donghan pleaded, but Junhyung just shook his head and Donghan groaned in defeat as he followed after his owner.

Minseok watched them go, not realizing his mouth was hanging open until he felt himself drool slightly. He quickly wiped it away, embarrassed. How could he act like this, right out in the open? What if someone saw him? What if they smelled him? Just what would he say? Sometimes he really hated being the only omega. There were things that happened to him that the others just wouldn’t understand.

He tried to ignore the lingering scent of Junhyung as he sat down on the grass, trying to get a hold of himself. He was glad he had already said goodbye to Hani and Hyojin and baby Chen. It would have been extra embarrassing if he had been like this in front of them. 

He rubbed at his forehead as he took a few deeps breaths. But he grimaced when he caught the faintest scent of something else in the air. 

Oh why? This is really not helping now, come on.

Evidently Donghan was actually enjoying being put on a leash by Junhyung, despite his protests. Minseok could smell it coming from the dog hybrid, the faint smell of arousal. The bunny squirmed where he was sitting, hoping no one would notice him before he could slink off somewhere. If he could smell Donghan then the others could most likely smell him.

Ah, what a weird day it’s been, he thought. A weird, weird day. Then he quickly snuck away to the back shed where he could calm himself down in peace.

***

Jihoon looked up as Mingyu entered the room. The cat had finally felt brave enough to come out from his hiding spot and was now lying in his bed, bundled up under the covers with a book he had been trying to read, but so far failing at. He was thankful Mingyu hadn’t come in earlier. He would have died of embarrassment if the dog had found him cowering under his bed. He was still a bit rattled now, but he tried not to show it as he greeted his roommate quietly.

“Are you feeling any better?” Mingyu asked, “Heenim said you were still getting dizzy…”

“Yeah, I’m okay now,” Jihoon told him, “I’m sorry I couldn’t enjoy the rest of the party with you.”

“That’s alright,” Mingyu said then he held up the present he had been holding onto, “I saved yours. It didn’t feel right opening it without you there.”

“Oh.”

Jihoon wanted to say more. To thank Mingyu for thinking of him, but he suddenly felt like his tongue was all tied up. Usually words came so easily to him, but at the moment he felt so dumb, he couldn’t think of an appropriate response. Why was he suddenly like this? And why did such a small gesture make him feel so strangely happy?

Mingyu didn’t seem to notice as he sat on the edge of his bed.

“Can I open it now?” he asked and Jihoon could only nod his head.

Jihoon watched as the puppy tore open the paper and pulled out the item inside. He was slightly nervous at what Mingyu’s reaction might be. Would the other hybrid be insulted? Jihoon had meant it with good intentions, but he knew how his personality was perceived by others and maybe Mingyu would think he was being “snobby” and looking down on him. But instead the puppy smiled when he saw what it was.

It was a children’s book, starring a cute cartoon dog. It was one that was specifically written to help young human children learn how to read. And Jihoon planned to use it to help Mingyu.

“It’s really nice,” Mingyu said, beaming, “Thank you so much.”

He shifted slightly on the bed, as if he was about to get up and come over to Jihoon, but then he stopped and stayed where he was and Jihoon felt his heart sink a little. Mingyu was always so affectionate, always giving everyone hugs and kisses. Except him. Even at a time like this, when it would have been perfectly acceptable to show his gratitude like that, Mingyu still wouldn’t touch him. Jihoon tried not to let it bother him and instead focused on how happy Mingyu looked as the dog hybrid opened the book and began flipping through the pages. 

“I like this puppy,” Mingyu said, pointing to the little yellow cartoon dog, “He’s cute.”

“Yeah. He reminded me of you a bit,” Jihoon replied, “His birthday is in April too.”

“What’s his name again?” Mingyu asked, “Po…pom…”

“Pompurin.”

“Right! He’s from Japan, isn’t he?”

“Mm-hm. I thought maybe…we could read it together,” Jihoon suggested.

Mingyu frowned as he wrung his hands nervously. “I…don’t know how…” he said, not realizing the book was meant to help him achieve just that.

“Well, I’ll help you,” Jihoon told him.

He didn’t know what came over him as he patted the spot next to him, signalling for Mingyu to sit down on his bed. He wouldn’t normally have acted like this. He always kept his distance from others. But something about Mingyu made him feel different. He couldn’t explain it. Or maybe he just didn’t want to admit it…

But he smiled as he saw the puppy’s tail wagging.

“Okay,” Mingyu said, “But let me get on my pajamas first.”

Jihoon tried not to stare as Mingyu pulled off his shirt and tossed it into the laundry hamper before going to get his pajama top. It wasn’t that Jihoon didn’t appreciate the sight (wait, why was he thinking like that?). Mingyu had such nice tanned skin and very broad muscular shoulders. It was the other part that upset Jihoon. The small round scars on the dog’s back, the ones that looked suspiciously like burn marks. They weren’t sloppy, like if Mingyu had accidentally burnt himself cooking or something. They were round and measured, almost like the end of a cigarette. Jihoon had never asked him about them, but he could imagine how the dog hybrid ended up with those marks after seeing the pictures in his diary. And it hurt his heart to think about it.

Soon enough Mingyu was dressed, looking rather adorable in his Crayon Shin-chan pajamas. The bottoms were just a little bit too short for him and it amused Jihoon every time he saw it. Mingyu sat down on the bed next to the cat and put the book in Jihoon’s lap, opening up the first page and looking at him expectantly. 

And Jihoon couldn’t explain why his own breathing suddenly sped up at the feeling of Mingyu’s shoulder pressed against his. They weren’t even really sitting that close, not like the cuddling the rodents did with each other anyway, but still he could feel his heartrate picking up even with just this. 

He tried to get it under control as he read the title of the book aloud and then turned to the next page, one that featured a chart of the Korean alphabet. 

“You already know some of these characters, right?” Jihoon said, “Because they’re in your name. See which ones you can find.”

Mingyu stared at the page in concentration, scanning through what must have looked like strange symbols to him. Then he pointed to the “m”. 

“This one,” he said.

“That’s ‘mieum’,” Jihoon told him, “You put it together with ‘i’ and ‘nieun’ to write the first part of your name.”

He pointed out the three characters together and Mingyu nodded.

“And then this one!” Mingyu exclaimed, pointing to the “g”, seeming proud to have found it so quickly.

“Right,” Jihoon told him, “‘Gieok’. You put it with ‘yu’ to make the second part of your name. See, you already know a lot of characters. You just need to practice.”

Jihoon went through the chart with him, telling Mingyu the names for each of the Hangul characters on it. Then they moved on to the next page, with Mingyu sounding out the simple words and Jihoon helping him along. They were going at a good pace until Mingyu suddenly interrupted the lesson.

“Jihoon hyung…” he said, sounding unsure, “Do you promise you won’t get mad if I ask you a question ?”

“I’ll never get mad at you for asking a question,” Jihoon told him, “What is it?”

Mingyu hesitated, playing with a corner of one of the pages as he considered continuing on. Then he finally spoke.

“Why is hyung so scared?” he asked quietly.

“Huh?”

Jihoon was confused for a moment. Until he realized that a dog’s sense of smell was better than any of the other hybrids’. Mingyu could most likely still smell the scent of his fear, even if Jihoon had calmed down from earlier. 

“It was just…” Jihoon thought up a whole bunch of excuses in his head, flipping through them rapidly as he struggled to come up with an answer. But he decided he didn’t want to lie to Mingyu. He wanted him to know the truth. Even if Jihoon was still a little too scared to go into the details. “It was some bad memories,” Jihoon went on, “Before, when I got dizzy, I was remembering something from my past. It wasn’t a very nice feeling. I guess it just scared me a little. But I’m okay now. Really.”

He felt his cheeks grow warm as Mingyu leaned his head against his, brushing ever so softly against the little cat’s ears.

“It happens to me too,” Mingyu said, “Sometimes when I see something, or smell something. Or just a loud noise. It doesn’t scare anyone else. They don’t understand why I get so upset. But it’s really scary to me. I can’t help it…”

Jihoon could see the picture in Mingyu’s diary in his head, that sad image forever in his mind. And then he could see it happening in real life, imagining how scared poor little Mingyu must have been. Mingyu had been in the adoption center for quite awhile before Heenim had adopted him and the dog had only just turned two now. So he would have still been a baby with his other family…

Jihoon reached his arm over Mingyu’s waist and patted the other hybrid’s side. He left his hand there afterwards, just holding onto Mingyu as they sat together, the puppy’s head still leaning against his. Neither of them said anything, but the silence didn’t feel awkward. Jihoon felt comfortable like this, and he realized that he felt a little less scared with Mingyu by his side. The dog hybrid was younger than he was, and much more innocent, but something about his big body pressed up against Jihoon’s made the cat feel a little bit safer. 

I’ll protect you, Jihoon thought. I won’t let anyone hurt you. And maybe you can protect me too…

There was just one thing that was still nagging at the back of his mind. He wasn’t sure if he could really ask it. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer. But being so close to Mingyu now and breathing in his comforting scent (when had a dog ever smelled this nice before?) he felt bold enough to ask it. 

“Mingyu?”

“Yeah?”

Jihoon tried to think of the right way to say it. Once again his words were failing him and he finally had to settle for just being blunt. His heart was interfering with his brain far too much for his liking and he kind of wanted to just get it out of the way already.

“When we were playing Truth or Dare…why didn’t you kiss me?” he asked.

“Oh. I didn’t think you’d like it. I know you really hate those kinds of things…” Mingyu replied matter-of-factly.

Of course he thought that. Jihoon hadn’t exactly been friendly when they’d first met and the hamsters had probably told Mingyu about the incident with Soonyoung and warned the puppy not to touch Jihoon. So this was Jihoon’s own fault, he realized. He had pushed everyone so far away that no one wanted to do anything with him now. Even when he kind of wanted to do something with them…

He gathered his courage to ask his next question. He was slightly worried what the answer might be, but he had to do it. He had to know if he was doing the right thing, opening his heart ever so slightly, or should he just go back to being the “ice princess” once again.

“…but…did you want to?” Jihoon asked, his voice so small and unsure it didn’t even sound like his own.

Mingyu was quiet for a moment and Jihoon started running all possible ways to recover from his stupid question through his head. But then the dog hybrid spoke and once again Jihoon’s heart cut off his brain as it swelled inside his chest.

“Yeah,” Mingyu replied, “I did. I-I mean if you weren’t going to get mad…maybe I…”

“I wanted to,” Jihoon said simply, cutting off the dog’s stuttered explaining.

“Oh. I didn’t know. I’m sorry…”

Jihoon chuckled at the puppy’s polite demeanor, even at a time like this. “You don’t have to apologize,” he said, smiling.

“Well I didn’t really want to kiss Baekhyun…” Mingyu mumbled.

Ah yes, that. Jihoon felt his ears flatten in annoyance at the memory. That stupid dog…

“Was that…was it your first kiss?” Jihoon asked him, “I mean, your first real one?”

“Yeah,” Mingyu confirmed, “I never had a kiss like that before.”

Jihoon chewed at his bottom lip. Where was this going? What was he doing? He had no idea anymore. He just knew that he wanted to be closer to Mingyu. He wanted to feel what Baekhyun had. Even if Jihoon really had no idea what that was actually like.

“I’ve never done it before,” he admitted quietly, “A kiss like that. There wasn’t much opportunity being a stray. You spend most of your time just trying to find food…”

Neither of them spoke again as Jihoon absently stroked Mingyu’s side. He really really didn’t know where this was going now. But lucky for the shy cat Mingyu was just a bit bolder.

“I can show you how it’s done…” Mingyu offered, “I mean, if you want to…”

Jihoon had enough courage to look over at him then. The moment Mingyu’s eyes met his he felt his cheeks growing hot, but he forced himself not to look away like he normally would. 

“Okay,” he agreed, his voice so hoarse it was just a whisper.

He could feel his heart hammering in chest as he stared into Mingyu’s pretty brown eyes. He really was quite beautiful, and close up like this Jihoon could truly appreciate it. 

Suddenly Mingyu’s hand was reaching out to touch his neck. The cat stiffened at first, not used to being touched like that, but then relaxed as he allowed himself to be pulled forward slightly. He felt a shiver run through his body as Mingyu’s mouth connected with his, but one that was entirely different from the fear he had felt earlier. This was a good kind of shiver, something he’d never experienced before. And then Mingyu’s tongue was slipping into his mouth and now the sensation running through his body was heightened even more. Jihoon found himself automatically wrapping his arms around the dog hybrid’s back, bringing him in closer. He wanted more. He’d never felt like this before, but yet he was already addicted to it, wanting to kiss Mingyu like this over and over, never wanting this feeling to go away.

It lasted much longer than it had with Baekhyun. And when they finally broke away Mingyu looked dazed, panting somewhat heavily, lips swollen where Jihoon had pulled at them.

“Are you sure you’ve never done this before?” Mingyu breathed and Jihoon smiled against his cheek.

He felt giddy now, like that time he had accidentally drank some soju he thought was soda. He was drunk on Mingyu he realized and that only made him smile more.

“Never done it,” Jihoon confirmed, “You’re my first kiss, Mingyu.”

Now Mingyu was smiling too and though he couldn’t see it Jihoon was sure the puppy’s tail was trying to wag from underneath him.

“I’m glad,” Mingyu said.

“So…will you be my second too?” Jihoon asked, feeling bolder now in his Mingyu-induced drunkenness.

The puppy happily agreed to it, pulling the cat in for another round.

That night was the first one that Mingyu didn’t spend in his own bed. They didn’t do anything past kissing, Jihoon knew he wasn’t ready for that and he guessed neither was Mingyu, but it had been enough for the both of them. It had been more than enough.

Now, as he lay curled up next to the giant pup, eyes closing sleepily, Jihoon felt truly happy for the first time since his mother had left him. No, maybe the first time in his entire life. And then something strange happened to him. There was a rumbling in his chest that vibrated up through his throat in a pleasant way, making a low hum. He was purring, he realized. He’d never done it before, not even when he was with Ailee, not even with his mother. He had never been comfortable enough, always living in fear of being caught, wondering if he would be able to eat, watching out for hateful humans and hybrids alike. But now, sleeping next to Mingyu, he felt wonderful. He felt safe.

So he purred as he cuddled into the dog hybrid’s chest, forgetting all about DynaTech, forgetting all about his awful past. 

All that mattered now was what was right in front of him.

***

The next morning was a lazy one. After so much excitement (and tears) the day before, everyone was now feeling rather lethargic. Heechul was cleaning up from breakfast as the hybrids sat in the living room watching TV. Their configurations seemed slightly different than usual. Ilhoon was sitting alone in the armchair where Jihoon usually was. Jihoon was on the couch instead, leaning up against Mingyu. The dog hybrid’s pajama shirt was clutched in the little cat’s hand as Jihoon flexed and unflexed his fingers, seemingly kneading Mingyu like a kitten. It was adorable. 

Minhyuk was sitting on the other side of the couch, looking very focused on the TV show in front of him. Heechul noticed he was holding a ratty looking teddy bear, chewing lazily on its ear. He recognized this stuffed animal as one he had bought for Minhyuk when he had first adopted him, one that had already been chewed on a lot by a then nervous bunny. Heechul had thought they’d gotten rid of the old thing since he hadn’t seen it in years, but Minhyuk must have just stashed it away somewhere instead. Heechul made a note to buy him a new one. He’d bought a few for Minseok in the last year since the younger bunny was so child-like and it seemed to comfort him. Thinking of it now, maybe even something as small as that had contributed to Minhyuk’s jealousy…

Minkki was on the floor with Soonyoung now, looking less focused on the TV as the pair played a game on one of the phones. Soonyoung was trying to give gaming advice to the little rabbit as he idly played with Minseok’s long droopy ears. 

Heechul looked up as the buzzer at the front door suddenly sounded. He wasn’t sure who it could have been. He hadn’t ordered any packages. Maybe it was someone sending something for Mingyu? 

He tossed the dishrag he’d been holding into the sink and went over to open the door. There was an older woman on the doorstep, standing with her hands clasped politely in front of her. Her eyes widened when she saw him there in the doorway, as though she was surprised even though she was the one who had rung the buzzer. She didn’t speak at first and Heechul was slightly worried she might be some crazy fan, although she didn’t quite seem to be the right age for that.

“Can I help you?” he finally asked, a bit wary of the answer.

“Yes. I’m so sorry to bother you, Kim-ssi. I-I didn’t know it would be you, I mean, actually you. I just…what I mean to say is…well, I-I’m…”

“I’m sorry,” Heechul said, “If you’re here for an autograph or something this is just slightly intrusive…”

“No, I’m not a fan, I’m…please! Please, you have to…” 

Heechul had started to shut the door, but the woman frantically pushed herself inside, startling him. 

“What are you doing?” Heechul exclaimed.

“Please. I just have to see him…”

He tried to push her back out the door as she tried desperately to remain inside. He didn’t want to use too much force against her since she was older than him, but he was somewhat alarmed by her persistence. He was about to tell her he would call the police when somebody behind him yelled out “Eomma!”

Heechul was shocked as he was shoved aside by a blur of a hybrid rushing past him to embrace the strange woman trying to get into their house. And as he looked over at them he was even more shocked when he saw it was Minseok. The little bunny was hugging the woman around the waist, pressing his face against her shirt as he mumbled something over and over that Heechul couldn’t quite make out. The woman stared at Minseok in awe as her hands tentatively reached down to embrace him back. She looked as if she couldn’t quite believe he was real. 

“Who are you?” Heechul asked, completely bewildered by the whole situation.

The woman looked Heechul in the eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks as she held onto Minseok. 

“My name is Park Misun,” she said, her voice quiet, but assured, “I’m Minseok’s mother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending song for this chapter: Always - Jung Ilhoon
> 
> I seriously had this storyline in my head for months and just didn't know when I'd actually reach it. Finally it's here, now I can stop replaying that scene over and over in my head while I'm at work lol. (Thinking about this fic really gets me through my boring work day XD)


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